This week’s Baking with Julia recipe is a bagel that’s described in the book thusly: “boiled, then baked – with a cakey, open sponge, they are not heavy, stretchy, or chewy.” Not chewy? Isn’t chewiness the essence of all bagels? (I exclude most supermarket bagels, which a bagel-loving friend of mine describes as “bagel-shaped bread.”) Colour me skeptical.
I think it’s time for a bagel throwdown. The bagel recipe that’s gotten the most buzz in recent years belongs to Peter Reinhart, so we decided to put Julia’s recipe up against his and see which one came out on top.
We’re taking some inspiration from the most famous of bagel head-to-heads: New York versus Montreal. It’s probably no surprise that we’re on Adam Gopnik’s team for this one. Here’s what he had to say in Martin Connelly’s article, Bagels, Toasted, from The Morning News:
I have few fixed convictions in life, but one of them is that Montreal bagels are not just better than New York bagels or any other bagels, they’re so much better that I’m on kind of permanent house arrest about eating any other kind of bagel—I just can’t eat a New York bagel. If you toast it and there’s enough cream cheese and nova on it, it’s tolerable, but it just isn’t a bagel.
It doesn’t stop there, either. Once the question of Montreal’s supremacy is settled (what do you mean it’s not settled?), there’s the age-old Fairmount versus St-Viateur question to be tackled.
When we went to Montreal a while back, we bought a bag each from Fairmount and St-Viateur (for scientific purposes only, of course). St-Viateur won, hands down. It’s an experience not to be missed if you’re there. If you go around the back, you might even be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of them loading bagels into that famous wood-fired oven.
But, let’s get back to our own little home-baked contest. There are small differences in the rising and shaping method for our contestants, but the primary difference lies in the ingredients. The bagels in Baking with Julia (from Contributing Baker Lauren Groveman) have shortening and sugar, while Reinhart uses malt syrup (or honey, in our case). Each poaching liquid uses the same sweetener as the bagels. We substituted the instant yeast called for in Reinhart’s recipe with dry active yeast, so they were equal on that front.
I prepared the dough for each of the bagel recipes the night before, as my nieces had only a limited amount of time for baking this month and we were tackling a lot together the next day. Groveman’s recipe produced a dough that was springy and incredibly active. Reinhart’s dough rose well, but seemed sluggish in comparison, even though the yeast was from the same batch.
Both were easy to work with, though everyone preferred Reinhart’s method for shaping the bagels over Groveman’s. We had two pots of poaching liquid on the stove, but apart from that, the method for boiling and baking each batch of bagels wasn’t that different. Once baked, Groveman’s bagels were larger and and a little rough around the edges, while Reinhart’s bagels were compact, tall, and smooth.
All this is preamble, of course, because what matters most is taste. Reinhart’s bagels had a nice crust with a little sweetness from the honey, while inside they were dense, soft, and chewy all at once. Groveman’s bagels were missing that sweetness in the crust, but had the taste and texture you expect from a bagel. We all liked both recipes, but Groveman’s won for overall taste, just slightly. Next time I make bagels, I’ll use Reinhart’s poaching liquid and Groveman’s recipe. I think the honey helps make the crust perfect.
Will these homemade bagels take the place of Montreal bagels in my heart? No, but good bagels can take a little effort to obtain in this region, so it’s good to know that it’s easy enough to make some delicious and satisfactorily bagel-y bagels at home.
This week’s host is: Heather. You can find everyone’s links here: Bagels
This is one wonderful post and I must tell you that it really made me happy because I have tasted Bagels both from the St-Viateur as well as the Fairmount Bakery! What fun to read about these two bakeries in your post while I sit here a few thousand kilometers away…one of these days, I will go there again, love those Montréal Bagels. Having said that, your Bagels look amazingly delicious, they have a great color! What fun to compare the recipes!
Have a good week!
Ha! Love the experiment 🙂
I live about half-way between Montreal and NYC and have to say that the best bagel I have ever had comes from Team Montreal – but place one of either kind in my hand and you won’t see me complaining.
Great job!
So much work, but I believe bagels deserve it. They are just beautiful! Though I didn´t think Groveman´s bagels had the right chewiness to them. Great job Teresa!
I really appreciated this throwdown post and the context you gave. Thanks! I have made Reinhart’s bagels several times and once you get used to the tedious processes, they’re not that bad to make. But you’re right – not much can beat St. Viateur bagels…as long as they’re fresh – only frozen ones available in my part of Canada 😦 – so homemade ones are as good as it gets.
i really enjoyed reading about the two processes..and interesting thing about the poaching liquid.. and when I read what you’ve written about Groveman’s.. I think I did alright!! I love how plump your bagels are looking!!
that’s so much fun to do a ‘head to head’ comparison!
What a great idea
beautiful bagels
I was thinking about trying out Reinhart’s recipe as well. Thanks for doing a side by side comparison! It’s really helpful.
What a great idea! I love Peter Reinhart’s recipes. I think I may try them while bagels are on my mind, great photos, and the bagels look fantastic!
Testing both recipes side by side looks like so much fun! I used brown sugar for the water bath and this helped with the crust of the bagels. I am also on Team St. Viateur 🙂
Great post, thanks for sharing the results with us.. I like Montreal bagels over NY.. There is a Montreal bagel store right next to my building so although I liked the Groveman’s recipe I don’t know when I will be so good to bake them again..
Cool! I’ll admit, I’m not so great at telling one bagel from another, but certainly is interesting reading about the different types and why people prefer one over the other! I’ll have to try a different recipe next time around. Either way, those are some nice-looking bagels!
Oh I love a good throw down, and I love trying more recipes. I liked these bagels but I am curious to try more recipes just in case there is a better one out there.
OMG, I was going to do the same thing!! But of course, I’m playing catch-up and I’m glad to see what your results were… I think I’m going to try malt syrup in the poaching liquid though.. 🙂 Will have to see how that turns out.
What do you think would help to improve the look of the bagels to be more smooth?
I think if they’d been shaped before their overnight rest, they would have been smoother. The girls weren’t coming until the morning, though, so I didn’t want to do that part without them.
Loved the competition! Your bagels look like they came from a bakery!! Mine came out a little brown and I even cut down on the baking time. Yours look more like I envision a true bagel to look like! Great job!!
Interesting! Now, I want to go to Montreal and taste their bagels. I;m glad the Groveman Bagels won. I like PR, but for some reason his recipes don’t seem to work out as well for me as others. Malt syrup is the best for the poaching liquid, I think.
I loved your throwdown! I’m a big Reinhart fan but have never tried his bagel recipe. Thanks for such a great comparison!
How much fun to compare the two recipes! I’ll have to check out the Peter Reinhart recipe because I found the shaping of Groveman’s bagels hard to understand. I was surprised that making homemade bagels were easier than I expected. I only wish I could find good bakery ones nearby…
Interesting comparison! Good to see what won!
Prior to this latest TWD post, we were unaware of the competitive spirit between Montreal and New York bagels. Mostly we are more familiar with the New York bagels. Just curious, what sets Montreal bagels apart? Different ingredients, or preparation? Our gluten free take on these bagels is still a work in progress. We are still looking to achieve the soft chewiness one expects in a bagel. Love your post. Great photos.
Martin Connelly’s article gives a pretty good explanation (it’s linked in the post), but it’s a combination of process and ingredients – even size, for some.
I just will have to go to Montreal and try some of those famous bagels! What a fun competition! Your bagels look wonderful and I will try honey in my poaching liquid next time.
How fun to do a throwdown! I’m going to try Reinhart’s recipe next. I did follow his instructions of doing the “float test” and forming the bagels before the overnight rest. Made for a smoother finish in the morning.
Oh man, now I have to go to Montreal. I’m a transplanted New Yorker, so bagel challenges are serious business. Also, at one point I lived in Larchmont where Lauren Groveman is from. But Peter Reinhart taught me how to bake bread! (not in person of course.) Oh, so many bagels, so little time.
Thanks for conducting a “scientific” comparison. Sounds like I’m not the only one who appreciates it.
Since I have never heard of a Montreal bagel I had to google it….this is pretty much how they summed it up on one site….(The 2 bagels are so completely different that they should not be compared at all but savored for what they each are. If you like your bagel saltier, chewier and more filling overall, then the New York bagel is the best choice for you. However, if you prefer a crunchier, sweeter, denser yet overall less filling bagel, then the Montreal bagel is definitely on the menu for you.
It is worth noting that you can have a New York-style bagel in Montreal at Fairmount Bagel and a Montreal-style bagel in New York at B&B Empire Café or Mile End deli both in Brooklyn – just in case you’re so inclined to taste test them yourself…)
Your bagels look perfectly delicious…I love your comparison! Now I can’t wait to try a Montreal bagel!
living in brooklyn, i eat a lot of new york bagels, but secretly i do actually kind of prefer the montreal style (i sometimes get them at mile end, mentioned in the above comment). thanks for doing this throwdown–sounds like you enjoyed both the process and the results!
I learned so much from your post, thanks a lot Theresa.
You all made beautiful bagels and terrific pictures.
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