What makes a proper New York bagel?

The New York bagel tradition

Is it the chewy texture, the golden crust, the way it’s shaped or simply the way it’s made?

We grew up with New York bagel culture, so for us, bagels have always been more than just food. They were part of our everyday life, from quick breakfasts to Saturday morning rituals.

When we moved to Cambridge, we couldn’t find proper New York bagels, so we thought “Why not try making them ourselves?”

And that’s how Bridge Bagels started, from a simple idea born out of something we missed to a real business we’re building together with our community.

And once we started baking, we quickly realised that what makes a proper New York bagel is a combination of things. From the way the dough is handled to the ingredients we use and the way each bagel is boiled and baked, every little detail matters.

So, what actually makes a proper New York bagel?

Hand-rolled and shaped with care

There’s something special about a bagel that’s been shaped by hand.

Hand-rolling takes a little more time and care, but it’s an important part of the process. The way the dough is shaped affects the structure and texture of the bagel, helping create that dense, chewy bite New York bagels are known for.

At Bridge Bagels, we hand-roll our bagels because we believe the process matters just as much as the final result. It’s one of those details that might seem small, but you can notice the difference when you take that first bite.

Kettle-boiled, then baked

Authentic New York bagels are boiled in water before they go into the oven.

Boiling the dough before baking helps create that slightly crisp, golden outside while keeping the inside dense and chewy. That contrast between the golden outside and the chewy texture inside is what New York bagels are known for.

And that’s the reason why our bagels are always kettle-boiled and we don’t just put them straight into the oven.

The ingredients matter

The process is very important, but the ingredients matter too.

The flour plays an important role in getting that classic chewy texture. Higher-protein flour helps give the dough the strength it needs and contributes to the structure and chew of the finished bagel.

Then there’s malt, a traditional ingredient used in many bagel recipes. It adds flavour and helps give bagels some of their characteristic colour and finish.

The flour, recipe, fermentation, boiling and baking all play an important part.

For us, it’s about getting the recipe right so we can make the proper New York bagels we grew up with, bring back the memories and rituals we associate with them, and make them part of everyday life in Cambridge.

Bringing New York bagels to Cambridge

That’s what we’re trying to do with Bridge Bagels.

We’re bringing the New York bagel culture we grew up with to Cambridge, hand-rolling and kettle-boiling our bagels and using quality local produce.

We started Bridge Bagels because we missed something from home. That Saturday morning ritual, sharing a fresh bagel, sitting down together and knowing exactly what you were going to get.

Now we want to bring that same feeling to Cambridge and create a neighbourhood place where everyone feels at home.

Because a proper New York bagel is more than the way it looks or how it’s made. It’s that first bite, the texture, the flavour and the feelings that come with it.

And that’s what we’re trying to bring to Cambridge and beyond.