The New York Bagel

The true American bagel is synonymous with New York City. And just like the character of the city that boasts it, the Big Apple’s doughy “O” is a one-of-a-kind combination of global cultures and traditions, with roots that stretch back centuries. 

Origin of the bagel

As early as the 1300s, bagel varieties of all shapes, sizes, tastes, and ingredients were being served across Israel, Turkey, Canada, and Russia. It wasn’t until in the early 1900s when the version we know made its way to Manhattan from Poland in the rucksacks of Jewish immigrants.

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These Polish favorites quickly became ever-present in curbside markets throughout New York’s Lower East Side, where merchants hung them by the dozen on strings and poles as an affordable street food option. 

What goes into making New York bagels?

To this day, the recipe for these famous metropolitan (perhaps even cosmopolitan) bagels remains the same across the five boroughs. And though everyday pantry staples are all they contain, New York bagels are prepared using a very strict process.

First, real flour (never low-gluten or gluten-free), yeast, malt, salt, and water are mixed and hand rolled into dough circles. 

However, unlike donuts, standard bread, or the bagel’s international relatives, New York bagel dough is never fried or baked in this initial form. First, it is kettle boiled, then proofed (left to sit and yeast-rise for 12 to 18 hours), before being baked to a golden brown. 

Whether to toast or not before eating is always a hotly contested debate. Though should you go the blasphemous route, use this toaster.

What makes New York bagels so special?

Word on the street says it’s the boil-before-bake maneuver, which has been shown to seal extra moisture inside the bagels, resulting in a perfectly chewy bagel that stays fresher for longer. Also, though this theory doesn’t carry much weight, many New Yorkers swear the city’s water supply is a game-changer that does wonders for the taste and texture of their bagels.

I live outside New York. How do I get a delicious bagel?

While these days most New York bagel artisans have moved indoors, their goods remain plentiful throughout the city and as delicious as ever, and one of life’s “must-try” foods — that is, if you have the time, energy, and funds for a trip to the Big Apple. 

Luckily for bagel lovers, aficionados, and connoisseurs everywhere, Wolferman’s Bakery has teamed up with experienced bagel bakers just north of Manhattan, in the borough of the Bronx, to make certified New York bagels available for direct delivery.

The partnership only makes sense. After all, since 1888, the Wolferman’s English muffin — the only breakfast bread with a comparable legacy to the New York bagel — has been a nationwide classic.

Wolferman’s New York bagels cut no corners and follow rules that many other bagel producers overlook: no high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors or colors, fats, oils, cholesterol, or preservatives. Just time-tested dough, hand rolled, kettle boiled, and hearth baked.

Sierra Castellano, senior director of merchandising for Wolferman’s, explains the company’s introductory bagel lineup as one that covers all the flavor bases: “We offer plain for the minimalist, everything for the adventurist, blueberry for the fruit lover, and cinnamon raisin for those who love that classic combo of sweet and savory.”

Wolferman’s New York bagels, which stay fresh because they come frozen, as well as pre-sliced, are available in a variety of quantities and combos, in gift baskets, towers, and mix and match packages with Wolferman’s English muffins. Full meal and brunch kits that include other top selections from the company’s signature breakfast goods lineup are also available online. Castellano said to be on the lookout for new products in 2025!

Regarding that debate of whether New York bagels are best enjoyed toasted or untoasted, Castellano endorses the non-purist majority opinion of “definitely toasted — however, just slightly, so it has the perfect textural combo of crunchy and soft.”

Castellano, having sampled the full Wolferman’s lineup with a variety of schmears and toppings, says her personal favorite combos vary from plain with butter to the sweet bagels with cream cheese and everything with cream cheese and lox.

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New York native Jim McCann, founder and CEO of the 1-800-Flowers.com family of brands, which includes Wolferman’s, also vouches that this new release meets the metropolitan standard. “As a New Yorker, I have a strong bias when it comes to bagels, and I knew that only an authentic bagel would be worthy of the Wolferman’s name. Our new hand-rolled, kettle-boiled beauties pass the McCann taste test and deliver a Big Apple authenticity, wherever you are.”