Bagel Off

The Contenders

The Rankings

First Place: King Arthur Baking Ultimate Sandwich Bagel
Second Place: NYT Cooking: How to Make Bagels by Claire Saffitz
Third Place: Bagels by Black Seed Bagels
Fourth Place: Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

The Method and Results

If you’ve been following me for a while you know my bagel journey has been as long as it was emotional. I was truly prepared for my new bagel personality but it has taken over my life. I kept asking people which bagel was their favorite and since no one could remember how each bagel tested, I decided to do a bagel off so we could compare. I made each of the bagels as written and then froze them so we could try them all on the same day. All the bagels had everything but the bagel seasoning for fairness.

My family and I tasted every bagel toasted with cream cheese. After trying all four bagels, we ranked them. Of the 7 people who tried them, 5 people rated King Arthur as “objectively their favorite”, 2 people rated NYT Cooking as their favorite and it was the overwhelmingly second choice for everyone else. Most people commented that the Black Seed Bagels were so different it was hard to rank it and the Mel’s Kitchen Cafe had a good flavor but didn’t seem to freeze and reheat as well as the others, which may have hurt its chances.

Overall, the King Arthur Baking was the most seamless to make and the crowd favorite, including mine. But if you’re looking to switch it up the Black Seed Bagels are very good (if very different), and Claire Saffitz’s are a very classic, chewy bagel. Mel’s Kitchen Cafe makes a great easy and quick bagel to serve same day.

My Notes on the Recipes

King Arthur Baking | Ultimate Sandwich Bagel

If you don’t line your baking sheets with parchment paper, you run the risk of your bagels sticking. I liked that this recipe also had you dust the baking sheets with a little bit of semolina flour for extra insurance.
I will play around with the toppings, but will otherwise continue to make this as written!

NYT Cooking: How to Make Bagels by Claire Saffitz

Knead the dough by hand for 20 minutes. Yes, you will be exhausted after.
I will avoid letting the bagels proof overnight in the fridge. They over-proofed for me and resulted in flat bagels the first time I made them.
- Proof at least four hours as she recommends but up to 8 hours has been fine.
If making cinnamon sugar bagels, place parchment paper underneath those bagels, as the sugar caramelizes as it bagels, and make the bagels stick to the sheet pan.

Bagels by Black Seed Bagels

When the bagels proof overnight in the fridge, they run the risk of forming a crust and getting too cold/over-proofing. Last time I used this tip from Claire Saffitz and it worked nicely:
- After you’ve formed all of the bagels, cover each baking sheet with a piece of plastic wrap, and place a damp towel on top. This will create a “sealed, moist environment” allowing the bagels to proof slowly overnight.

Mel’s Kitchen Cafe | FANTASTIC (AND EASY!) HOMEMADE BAGELS

Make sure it’s not too hot — have the air on or a nice breeze to ensure that the bagels don’t overproof.
She gives you the option to divide the dough by 12 or by 10. I prefer to divide by 10.
Make sure to line the baking sheets with parchment paper.