Yes, you can make the iconic smaller, sweeter and denser real Montreal bagel with a larger hole at home. A bagel made any other way is just not a real bagel!
Baking bread is so perfect. I keep saying I need to bake more bread and I am always intimidated at the though so I keep putting off. No more as I will be popping one out of the oven every month from now on. Each month there is a chosen ingredient or theme. For July we were asked to make a Jewish bread and there was not even a doubt in my mind what I would make: a Montreal Bagel!
If it’s not from Montreal, your bagel is a fake!
So not only is it my first month but I get to be controversial too! OK so everyone knows a bagel is a bread baked in the shape of a ring. Now show any Montrealer a commercial bagel or a bagel anywhere not from Montreal and you will witness eyes rolling and perhaps a sigh. We Montrealers believe the world has been led astray and you have no idea what a REAL bagel should be. What you eat is regular bread with a hole in the middle, we eat real bagels (please pick up on the humour in my tone lol). Just like smoked meat, you can only eat a real smoked meat sandwich when in Montreal!
The difference: the Montreal bagel is handmade, smaller, sweeter and denser, with a larger hole, and is always baked in a wood-fired oven. It contains malt (maple syrup will work), egg, and (usually) no salt and is boiled in honey-sweetened water before being baked. Bagels were brought to North America by Jewish immigrants from Poland and other Eastern European countries.
source: honestcooking.com
St. Viateur vs Fairmount bagel
Minor controversy surrounds the question of who first brought the bagel to Montreal. They were (reportedly) first baked in Montreal by Chaim (Hyman) Seligman. Seligman would string his bagels into dozens and patrol the Jewish Main (Boulevard St. Laurent) purveying his wares, originally with a pushcart, then a horse and wagon and still later from a converted taxi.
Seligman went into partnership with Myer Lewkowicz and with Jack Shlafman but fell out with both of them. Seligman and Lewkowicz founded the St. Viateur Bagel Shop in 1957 and Shlafman established Fairmount Bagel in 1919, which both still exist in the present day. Thank you wiki.
To this day it is totally normal for one Montrealer to ask another: are you the Fairmount or St-Viateur type? Some restaurants will give you the option to choose when you order a dish with a bagel from a menu. This is serious business folks!
I luckily work close to both main shops. I love going to the shop and getting my dozen piping hot right out of the oven. You have to eat one still hot as soon as you leave the shop, it’s the law! And if you are curious, I am a St-Viateur gal all the way!
It can be made at home!
Making a Montreal bagel at home has been on my bucket list for a very long time but I was really terrified. Could I pull it off? Can I really make a close reproduction at home without a wood-fired oven? Would I be a shlimazel as I would potshki in the kitchen?
Well, I am happy to say the results of the recipe at My Second Breakfast were gants gut (quite well)! And the two friends who tasted them each gave two thumbs up. Enjoy fresh or toasted with cream cheese, smoked salmon, onions, tomatoes and or/capers. I even used one as a bun for a regular burger.
Montreal Bagels
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 65 g granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 8 grams active dry yeast
- 2 large eggs divided (one is for the dough and one is for an egg wash)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 4 to 5 cups all purpose unbleached flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup poppy seeds or sesame seeds
- 16 cups of water
- 1/3 cup honey
Instructions
- In a large bowl whisk together the warm water, sugar, canola oil, yeast, egg and maple syrup. Combine until the yeast dissolves.
- Stir in salt and one cup of the flour.
- Add enough flour to make a loose, soft dough, about 3 cups.
- Knead your dough for about 12 minutes, adding flour as needed as you go 1/2 cup at a time.
- Once your dough is firm and smooth, cover with inverted bowl and let the dough rest 10 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 12 equal parts for big bagels or 15 for regular ones. Roll each piece into a 8-10 inch rope, then curve each one pressing together the ends to make a bagel shape. Make sure that the ends are ell kneaded together. You want deformed circles with big holes. Let the dough rise for 30 minutes.
- 5 minutes before your dough is finished rising, fill a large pot with water (16 cups of water) and stir in the honey. Bring to a boil.
- Preheat oven to 425F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Put 3-4 bagels at a time in the pot and boil for 45 seconds on each side (90 seconds total). Remove and let the water drain off onto a clean towel or paper towel.
- In a small bowl whisk your egg and pour your seeds on a small plate. Dip your bagel in the egg wash and then coat both sides in the seeds. The bagels tend to get very dark in areas where they are not covered with seeds.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes or they start to get golden brown on the side touching the baking tray). Flip and bake another 6-8 minutes or until completely light, golden brown.
- Cool the bagels on a cooling rack. Freeze uneaten bagels immediately after they are done cooling to preserve their texture.
Twelve Loaves
#TwelveLoaves is a monthly bread baking party created by Lora from Cake Duchess and runs smoothly with the help of Heather of girlichef, and the rest of our fabulous bakers.
Our host this month is Karen from Karen’s Kitchen Stories, and our theme is Jewish Breads. For more bread recipes, visit the #TwelveLoaves Pinterest board, or check out last month’s mouthwatering selection of #TwelveLoaves enter last month’s “A Little Something Sweet” Breads!
- Bialys from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Boulou from girlichef
- Challah Braid from The Redhead Baker
- Land of Milk and Honey Muffins from NinjaBaker.com
- Marble Rye Bread from The Bread She Bakes
- Montreal Bagels from Cheap Ethnic Eatz
- Passover Popovers from Hostess At Heart
- Pletlz – Jewish Onion Bread from A Shaggy Dough Story
If you’d like to bake along with us this month, share your Jewish bread using hashtag #TwelveLoaves!
Check out more bread recipes from around the world here:
- Sabaayad flatbread common in Djibouti and Somalia
- Sourdough Seed Anadama Bread
- Khaliat Nahal, a Yemeni Honeycomb Bread
I tried your recipe and the result was amazing! I like how they are sweeter than the other recipe I was doing before.
I hope to bring the Montreal bagel to the north of Spain soon 🙂
Thank you so much Astrid, nothing makes me happier from someone who tried my recipe and was thrilled with the results. Watch out Spain lol.
This is very interesting. Usually, we really wouldn’t know the difference but you have enlightened us. Thanks for sharing!
Thank Nagi, hope one day you get to taste the difference too 🙂
How interesting to read that it is made in a wood fire oven!
In bagels shops, they are indeed. So fun to see them being baked and gives a nice taste.
this looks good. I am a New Yorker and would like to compare.
Thanks Holly for your comment! And you can compare. Check out a brunch place http://www.mileenddeli.com in NYC, they import them on weekends!
Are these ones also boiled in alkali water to help it brown too?
Excellent question Tammi, I had to google that. I did not see recipes asking to do that. My research says the alkaline bath helps in browning and getting a shiny surface. I believe the boiling in honey or malt water achieves the same goal.
Very interesting post – I had no idea about the differences in bagels! Now I must try a Montreal one 🙂
A very good plan Eileen 🙂
Interesting, thanks for sharing the bagel story. That group sounds like a really good one to be part of.
Twelve Loaves is really great, join us!
I’ve eaten bagel in New York and loved them! As well as the option of 20+ cream cheese breads to choose from. The Montreal bagel sounds interesting. Do you have a preference?
Montreal bagel, all he way 🙂
Had no idea there was a Montreal bagel. Very interesting. Your bagel pics are tempting and delicious. Yummy!
Oh there, nd I am being totally non partial and will say they are the best 🙂
Until I visited the US about a decade ago, I had never eaten a bagel. Whaaaat?! So I am not at all a bagel expert, had no idea there was even a difference. Lol! Will have to give your recipe a go and get my bagel onnnnn. 🙂
Oh they are totally different beasts Anna, I hope you give the recipe a try :-
I had no idea there were Montreal bagels. These look fabulous – and fun to boil them before baking. Thank you for sharing.
Oh I wish you could taste one if you do not know them. Totally make the recipe 🙂
All these bagels look so good that it would be hard to choose only one.
Well that is why you need to eat 3, minimum 🙂
I have come to the conclusion that baking is a science. Gordon is better at science than I am, and will try and make these bagels for me.
Very true Paula but no science fiction. Just don’t panic and follow instructions 🙂
Love bagels… i am not one to make them… but I do love them with salmon!
Salmon, cream cheese and capers, yum!
I agree, baking bread is perfect and your bagels look wonderful! I’ve never gotten up the nerve to make them, but this sounds like the recipe to try. This is my first time here, I like your blog and will be looking around. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks Pam and welcome, I hope you do try the recipe.
Wow! Your bagels look amazing! I love bagels and I enjoy baking bread. But I wonder why I’ve never baked a bagel. Think, this was the inspiration I needed. Also, learnt so may new things about them from your post.
My pleasure ad hope you make some..and send pics!
Hey Evelyne! I’m inspired by your beautiful bagels. They look perfect, if a little different from what I’m used to, but I have to admit I’d rather take yours 🙂
Thanks Viviane and give them a try!
Heck, I’ll eat any style of bagel! Do like the classic Montreal style, though. Haven’t had one of these in years! I need to get to Montreal again. Or just make these. Fun post, great recipe — thanks.
Thanks John and give me a shout out if you do come to Montreal!
I have always been intimidated by making bagels. I don’t know why! But I will give it a try now. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
So was I Cam but you can do it and I hope you try it!
Montreal bagels are SO good! I love them filled with all sorts of goodies. I even had one stuffed with Montreal smoked meat baked inside the bagel. Heaven!
So glad you had them and yes with Montreal smoke meat – perfect combo Lorraine!
I am loving all of the stories about the breads this month! I’ve always wanted to try making these, but the no salt thing…. so happy you added salt! Welcome to the group! I hope you get as hooked on bread baking as I am =)
Thanks for the welcome Karen and yeah got to have a bit of salt!
Oh baby! BREAK ME OFF A PIECE OF THAT!
Saving it for you Gigi 🙂 but quick only one left
Such a fun read, Evelyne! I never knew there was a difference between a MTL and NYC bagel. Now I do! I like the idea of boiling the bagels in honey water =) And I like the idea of this Ninja Baker trotting up to Montreal and visiting Saint-Viateur…And obeying the law by eating one hot!
You let me know when you do!
Love a bagel! While I haven’t had the pleasure of tasting a Montreal bagel, I love the wood-fired rustic look, thanks for sharing 🙂
Thanks Pam!
Can you believe I’m not a bagel person? I live in NYC and I am not a bagel person lol. So I showed this post to my mom and she was in love lol. Loved this Evelyne.
Kia / The House of KTS
http://www.houseofkts.com
Ah so glad your mom liked it, and you don’t like bagels because you have not tried a Montreal one yet 😉
Now I’m craving bagels! Yours look wonderful. Hope to get back to bread baking one of these days. With a new puppy, I’m scaling back my blogging. Just not enough time 🙂
I love seeing all the pics of your new puppy Liz, so cute and soon he will be a sous-chef!
Montreal bagels? Chicago pizza? What’s this world coming to? This born and bred New Yorker fears for civilization as we know it. I will grudgingly admit that I made Montreal bagels a couple of months ago and while they weren’t REAL bagels (ducks to avoid flying bagels), they weren’t…half bad. (Actually, they were good but if it gets out, I’ll deny it.) Yours do look awesome though—a true Montreal bagel baked by a true Montrealer. Maybe it’s the water… Welcome to #TwelveLoaves!
Robin I cannot stop laughing, that was probably one of the best comments I ever got. Thanks for the welcome (throwing a bagel at you).
Those are some beautiful bagels! I love hearing the difference between a NY and Montreal bagel (and would happily eat either). So happy you’ve joined the twelve loaves group and hope that you enjoy the monthly challenge. Now, if only I could get up to Montreal to try both of those shops…
Thank you Heather and so happy I found the group. Will have to check your bagel recipe. And let me know if you do make it to Montreal we’ll go together!
Welcome to the group! Your bagels are definitely drool worthy! I’ve never made them, but one of these days I will give it a try. So many recipes, so little time right?
Thank you for the welcome Julie and comment! yes the list of recipes to make NEVER ends!
Looks great Eve. Have fun with Twelve Loaves.
Thanks Wendy, its a great group so far.
That’s a droolworthy sandwich!
Thanks Angie 🙂
Well, I didn’t know the difference. What a great bread to put on a sandwich!
Thanks Katerina! Hope you try them.