National Bagel Day: A hole lot of love for everyone’s favourite round roll
Happy National Bagel Day! On 15th January 2025, we’re celebrating the ultimate “hole-y” grail of breads. Whether you love a plain bagel with classic toppings or prefer bold, creative flavour combinations, there’s no wrong way to honour this chewy, doughy delight. Let’s dig into bagel history, fun recipes, and ways to make your celebration a real treat.
A Bite of Bagel History
Bagels have been delighting people for centuries. They originated in 17th-century Eastern Europe, where Jewish communities embraced them as a staple food. In the 20th century, Jewish immigrants brought bagels to North America, where New York City turned them into a global phenomenon. The secret to their unique texture lies in the preparation—boiling the dough before baking creates a chewy interior and crisp crust.
The hole in the middle isn’t just a signature feature. It helps bagels bake evenly, makes them easier to stack, and ensures they never feel too full of themselves.
Ways to Celebrate National Bagel Day
Kick off your celebration with these fun and delicious ideas:
Host a Bagel Buffet Brunch: Invite your friends and family for a build-your-own-bagel party. Lay out a spread of cream cheese, smoked salmon, red onions, cucumbers, capers, and fresh herbs. It’s the perfect way to combine great food and great company.
Try Creative Toppings & Fillings: Think beyond the usual spreads. Sprinkle spicy “everything” seasoning for an extra kick, or try our loaded bagel recipe. It features sourdough bagels topped with avocado, cream cheese, smoked salmon, red onion, cucumber, capers, chives, and dill.
Explore Sustainable Options: Swap out avocado for a more eco-friendly filling like our “not- avo-mole” recipe. The chili and paprika in the recipe add a subtle kick but if you can’t stand the heat you can have it without. It’s equally great on sourdough bagels or bread.
Try Our Most Popular Bagel Recipe: Our garlic bagel bites are absolutely divine and make a simple yet crowd-pleasing snack.
Bake Your Own Bagels: Try your hand at making bagels from scratch. Shaping and boiling the dough is satisfying, and the end result is worth every minute. Try out our bagel making kit and our online bagel making course to help you on your kneadventure!
Be Adventurous: Step outside your comfort zone and explore our newest bagel flavours. Our cheese and red onion bagels, seeded bagels, and cinnamon and raisin bagels are perfect for anyone looking to try something new.
What Makes Good in Bread Bagels Special?
At Good in Bread, we craft sourdough bagels using traditional techniques and premium ingredients. Our bagels offer a perfectly chewy texture and rich flavour, whether you enjoy them plain, toasted, or loaded with your favourite toppings.
The Final Crumb: Bagel Edition
Bagels deserve to be celebrated, and National Bagel Day is the perfect opportunity to do just that. Host a brunch, experiment with new recipes, or indulge in one of our artisanal sourdough bagels. Every bite is a reminder of the joy that simple, quality ingredients bring to the table.
This National Bagel Day, let’s toast to a classic that’s still rolling strong! 🥯✨
Bagel Chronicles: All about the bagel
Every year, my grandad would arrive in France with a suitcase brimming with bagels from the States. Growing up in France, bagels were the only food item that connected me with my Mother’s Jewish-American roots. But back then, finding bagels in France was impossible —nobody was selling them.
Now, “Bagelmania” has taken the world by storm. Everyone craves the chewy texture and golden-brown crust. Whether it’s a plain one, a sesame-studded delight, or an “everything” extravaganza, this beloved breakfast staple has a special place in our hearts — and stomachs.
But how did the bagel get to America and when did the bagel craze begin?
The history of the bagel
Today, few people associate bagels with their Jewish origins. Yet, until the 1960s, they were only really known in large Jewish communities in major cities. In 1951, The New York Times even provided a pronunciation guide (“baygle”) and described them as “glazed-surfaced rolls with firm white dough” in an article about a bagel bakers’ strike.
Bagels truly gained popularity in the 19th century for two main reasons. First, Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe brought their bagel-making traditions with them. Second, lower wheat prices made bagels more affordable. This combination of cultural influence and affordability helped bagels become popular, particularly in places like New York City.
We’ve created a simple timeline to outline the bagel’s origins below:
Rediscovering bagels: From New York classics to artisan sourdough innovations
Bagels are a household staple in the States and are gaining popularity in London and other parts of Western Europe. When I visit France now, it’s not easy, but it’s no longer impossible to find my beloved bagel. However, finding a sourdough bagel is still like searching for a needle in a haystack!
I have a deep passion for authentic sourdough; its health benefits and tangy taste are unmatched. When I established Good In Bread, my goal was clear: to offer organic artisan sourdough loaves and bagels nationwide. I was thrilled when I finally discovered the perfect sourdough bagel. Initially, we only stocked plain and seeded bagels, but I began collaborating with our baker, Julian, to develop new recipes.
So, now we have a range of sourdough bagels to choose from. Here’s just a few:
Modern innovations
The reason why I love sourdough so much is that it goes back to traditional baking methods and is healthier than yeasted bread. Unfortunately, mass production and commercialisation have changed the essence of the bagel.
Food historian and author Maria Balinska, known for her book “The Bagel: The Surprising History of a Modest Bread“, shares concerns about modern trends that veer away from the bagel’s authentic roots. She feels that oversized and rainbow-coloured bagels, often seen on social media, lose sight of what truly defines a bagel: its humble origins and unique texture, crafted through traditional methods.
Maria Balinska, Food Historian
Innovation in food is essential and can certainly be exciting. However, I wanted to be innovative in a different way. Instead of chasing fleeting trends, I decided to merge my two passions — sourdough and bagels — to create what I call “loaf cuffs”. They honour the classic New York style but with a distinctive sourdough twist.
Bagel recipes
How to make your own bagels?
We offer a bagel baking kit for any baking enthusiasts who want to try making bagels from scratch. The boiled-and-baked bread is fun to make! As Maria Balinska says “the bagel’s classic recipe is a testament to its enduring appeal”. Our kits include everything you need to bake authentic bagels.
How to fill a bagel?
Traditionally, Bagels were smothered in schmear and piled with lox. Now, we’ve replaced the schmear with cream cheese and the lox with smoked salmon.
Here’s one of our sesame-studded sourdough bagels filled with smoked salmon, avocado and cream cheese. Perfect for an on-the-go lunch.
You must try the Loaded Bagel! Satisfyingly filling and full of goodness. Check out our recipe.
Want to find out more about the bagel’s fascinating journey?
If you’re eager to explore more about the fascinating journey of the bagel and delve into Jewish food history, consider these two insightful books:
- Food Historian Maria Balinska’s book: “The Bagel: The Surprising History of a Modest Bread” – This book delves into the rich history of the bagel, tracing its origins, cultural significance, and evolution from Eastern Europe to its prominence in American culture.
- Food Writer Claudia Roden’s book: “The Book of Jewish Food” – Claudia Roden’s comprehensive work explores the diverse culinary traditions of Jewish communities around the world. It covers not only bagels but a wide range of dishes, recipes, and cultural practices that have shaped Jewish foodways.
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Loaded Bagel
We have a banging bagel recipe coming up for you! A twist on the classic combination of cream cheese and smoked salmon. This upgraded version combines the saltiness of capers and smoked salmon with the creaminess of cheese and avocado. Add some fresh herbs into the mix and the tangy notes from the sourdough bagel and you have yourself a flavour powerhouse.
Get ready to make your jaw work overtime as you bite into the ultimate loaded bagel.
Ingredients
Good In Bread sourdough bagels (plain or everything bagel)
Cream Cheese
Smoked Salmon
Red Onion
Avocado
Cucumbers
Capers
Chives
Dill
Instructions
1. Slice the cucumber, red onion and avocado.
2. Chop the chives & dill and put these aside.
3. Slice a couple of bagels in half (horizontally) and pop them in the toaster.
4. Place several generous dollops of cream cheese onto a chopping board.
5. Add pieces of smoked salmon and capers onto the cream cheese.
6. Add the sliced vegetables from step number 1.
7. Sprinkle on the chopped chives and dill.
8. Chop and mash everything together and blend into a patty shape.
9. Using a spatula, place inside the toasted bagels and slice in half (vertically).
10. If you want, add more fresh dill on the top of the filling like in the photo below.
