Suggested uses

Basic prep

Storage & handling

Store in a dry, cool place.

Ingredients

Sesame seeds, poppy seeds, garlic, onion, salt, caraway seeds. Contains: Sesame.

The bagel dates back at least six centuries. According to one legend, it was created to honor a Polish king who protected Austria from Turkish invaders— the round bread was given the name ''bügel'' (German for stirrup) because it was made to resemble the king’s stirrup. According to other sources, the name comes from the Yiddish word ''beygel,' taken from the German ''beugel,'' meaning ring. What is certain is that the bagel came to North America— most notably Montreal and the Lower East Side of New York City—with Eastern European immigrants around the turn of the 20th century. Longer lasting than other types of bread thanks to its hard, crusty exterior, the bagel was initially sold in racks on sticks as a cheap and filling street food. By 1915, the bagel was standardized, and a federation of trade union members strictly controlled its production. While today’s mostly machine-produced bagel is considerably larger than the handmade bagels being produced in New York City over a century ago, the recipe is has remained mostly the same: high-gluten flour, water, yeast and malt and (sometimes) salt are mixed, formed into rings, proofed, boiled, then baked. The result is a dense, ringed caramel colored bread with a shiny, crunchy exterior and chewy center. As bagels rose to popularity in the second half of the 20th century, bakeries began offering dozens of different flavors and a wide variety of toppings. The everything bagel was invented and popularized in or around New York City in the early 1980s. The seasoning blend typically includes a crunchy, aromatic mixture of poppy seeds, sesame seeds, onion flakes, caraway seeds, garlic flakes, coarse salt, and pepper. Thanks to the everything bagel’s popularity, its distinct seasoning blend can now be found everywhere from crackers to hot dog buns to fusilli pasta.