Bagels

The bagel is a Jewish bread, perhaps originating in Austria, migrating to Polish Galicia and thence to North America where it has become a standby of the Jewish delicatessen. The slightly enriched dough is shaped into rings, given a short rise, then poached for a matter of seconds before baking. The poaching makes the crust chewy rather than crisp, a texture reinforced by the short rising time. The crust may be brushed with egg to give gloss (an effect also achieved by putting sugar into th