I’ve been a bread baker and pizza maker for almost 40 years. Bialys and I became acquainted—in the “I make them” sense—about five years ago. And bagels? Never, really, until this weekend. (”Never” means we’re not including two or three efforts, which basically amounted to forming bagel shapes out of some bread dough, boiling and baking.)

When my daughter and I were in New York, we tried several bagels. I liked, best the Montreal-style bagel from Black Seed. Not too big, not too puffy, with a strong crust and a chewy interior.

So, I tried a Montreal-style recipe today. Not good, so I won’t share the recipe. Lots of sugar, all-purpose flour, and a short rise. They have a crust, but the interior is too light and cake like, despite the boiling/baking process. (Think Einsteins with a slightly crispier crust.)

That all said, they look pretty:

Rising

Done!

Back to the process, with modifications. Less sugar. A mix of bread and all-purpose flours, for added gluten/structure. A longer rise, probably in the refrigerator. And a slightly longer boil. Stay tuned!