Bagel

A bagel is a dense ring of wheat dough that is boiled briefly and then baked until the crust is glossy and chewy. Its roots are Polish-Jewish, but in the United States it is best known as a deli bread, sliced and filled for breakfast and lunch. The ring shape and the boiling step are what set it apart from a soft bread roll.

What it really is

A bagel is made from a stiff dough of wheat flour, water, yeast, salt and a little sugar. The dough is shaped into a ring by hand and rested, then boiled briefly in water before it goes into the oven. The boil sets the outside, so the crust turns firm and shiny while the inside stays dense and chewy. Bakers vary the boiling time and the sugar. Toppings such as sesame or poppy seeds are optional extras, not part of the basic dough.

A bagel is a bread, not a sweet bun. It is not filled with fruit or cream in its basic form, and the dough has no egg or milk in the classic version. Sweeter bagels exist, but they are variations on the same method.

How it's served

• Warm or toasted, usually split horizontally before it is served.
• With cream cheese, butter, or smoked fish, as a breakfast or brunch dish.
• Sliced and layered into a deli sandwich at lunch.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the bread as a boiled and baked wheat ring, and say whether it is plain or topped with seeds.
• Flag wheat. Seed toppings add sesame or poppy seed, which should be declared separately.
• Name every filling. Cream cheese brings milk, smoked fish brings fish, and each must be flagged.
• The classic dough is vegan, but some bakeries brush the crust with egg or add dairy, so check before you say so.