Why You Should Avoid The Bagels At A Grocery Store Bakery

While it all depends on the type of bagel you're thinking of, it's a universal rule that bagels should have a shiny crust with an interior that's both tender and chewy at the same time. Out of all the grocery store bakery items you should avoid buying, a bagel may be among the worst offenders. Some dedicated bagel connoisseurs will even wait an hour to try a city's best bagel and wouldn't dream of buying a sleeve of pre-packaged grocery store bagels. There are centuries of tradition, methods, and knowledge used to make exceptional bagels all around the country, many of which are tied to Jewish immigrants arriving in the United States in the late 1800s.

Boiling bagels before baking them is essential, as it briefly cooks the outsides of the bagel which helps the inside to retain moisture. A quick dip in boiling water also gives bagels the crust that they're known for. Given the large variety of items that grocery store bakeries churn out daily, it's unlikely that they're able to dedicate enough time or resources to give bagels the proper treatment needed to yield an exceptional bagel compared to those found in a specialty store. Grocery store bagels tend to be more bread-like, which isn't what you're looking for in a traditional bagel.

Even though the bagels at the grocery store's bakery section are likely a step above the store-bought bagel brands you'll find in the packaged bread aisle, a grocery bakery's bagels tend to lack the distinct, yeasty flavor that is so coveted. An excellent bagel should have a bit of tang from extended fermenting with either yeast or a sourdough culture.

Along with these other issues, you aren't guaranteed freshness from a grocery store bakery bagel, as you never really know how long they've been sitting out or when they were first baked. A specialty bagel shop will be making them fresh daily, and usually making fresh batches multiple times throughout the day to replenish their stock. Any bagel store worth their salt will never sell day-old bagels unless specifically indicated and usually for a discounted price.

An added benefit of going to a proper bagel shop is the variety of amazing fresh cream cheeses, spreads, and lox you can purchase alongside your bagels. Not only will you get a superior bagel and all the accoutrements you could want, but you're likely supporting a small business as well. Once you've gone through the trouble of getting bagels from a specialty bagel shop instead of the grocery store, don't let that effort go to waste with our creative ways to use leftover bagels.