New York
Boiled in water with barley malt, baked in a standard deck oven. Larger, softer-crumbed, a restrained sweetness and a definite chew. The style most people picture.
Bagel varieties, honestly compared
The regional styles differ in real, specific ways — sweetener, boil, oven and crumb. Here is what actually changes.
The three main styles
Each is internally consistent. None is objectively correct.
Montreal
Boiled in honey-sweetened water and baked in a wood-fired oven. Smaller, denser, noticeably sweeter, with a blistered crust and a wider hole. Almost always sesame or poppy.
Sourdough
Leavened with a starter instead of commercial yeast and given a longer ferment. Tangier and more open in the crumb — a fair bit further from a traditional bagel.
Reading a bagel before you bite it
You can judge most of the process from the outside.
A glossy, slightly blistered crust
The kettle stage was done properly and the oven was hot enough.
good sign
A matte, floury surface
It was probably never boiled at all — this is a bread roll shaped like a bagel.
warning
Tight, close crumb
Correct — a bagel should not look like a ciabatta inside.
good sign
Large irregular holes
Over-proofed, or hydrated more like a bread dough.
warning
Splits along the seam
The ring was sealed weakly before boiling.
warning