PRODUCt BAKERY REVIEwThe Roll with a Hole
B
agel is one of the many products
of western origin which is gaining
currency in the Indian market. The
product, if marketed well, has impressive
potential to gain popularity in the metros
and other big cities of the country, where
there are huge multitudes of people with
less time on their hands; who are looking
for tasty, filling and affordable snacking
options, woptions which also do not take
much time to have.
Bagel is a bread product whose origin
can be traced to the Jewish communities in
Poland. One can find first mention of bagel
in the early seventeenth century; in 1610
to be precise.
One of the theories behind the origin
of bagel is that it was created as a tribute
to Ian Sobieski, the King of Poland, but the
certainty of this theory is suspect, thoughthis anecdote is quite popular. However, it
has now been found that the genesis of
bagel can be traced to ancient Egypt.
Nowadays bagels are extremely popular
in North America, though its usage in the
continent gained momentum only during
the last quarter of the 20th century. It is
believed that bagels reached the US along
with the East European immigrants. Among
many other things, the great city of New
York is also famous for its bagels.
Bagel’s interiors are generally dense,
chewy, and doughy and its exterior is
generally brown and crunchy. Bagels are
circular shaped with a hole and are often
topped with sprinkling of poppy or sesame
seeds. Bagels with salt sprinkled on the
surface are also there. There are flat bagels
too, which are known as a flagel, though
they are highly uncommon. Wikipedia statesthat “According to a review attributed to
New York’s Village Voice food critic Robert
Seitsema, the flagel was first created by
Brooklyn’s ‘Tasty Bagels’ deli in the early
1990s.”
Wheat dough is the most important
ingredient in a traditionally made bagel.
The most basic and traditional bagel
dough comprises wheat flour devoid
of germ or bran, salt, water, and yeast
leavening. According to Wikipedia, “Bread
flour or other high gluten flours are
preferred to create the firm, dense but
spongy bagel shape and chewy texture.”
The preparation of bagels involves
boiling and then baking. The act of boiling
thickens the crust of bagel, and endows
it with a distinctively chewy quality. The
boiling involved in its preparation also gives
bagel a more shelf life than freshly baked