Journal
event-ideas
Break-Fast Bagel Spread: Quantities and a Make-Ahead Plan
Twenty-five hours, no cooking, a room full of people who haven't eaten since yesterday. The break-fast spread, the per-person math, and the freeze-and-revive...
method
The Best Way to Shape Bagels: I Measured Three Methods
Three shaping methods, one batch of dough, and a set of workshop calipers. What the poke costs you, why the rope holds its own, and the laminated log we had ...
event-ideas
Christmas Morning Bagel Bar: A Make-Ahead Plan
Fresh bagels on Christmas morning without missing anything: real bagel dough waits in the fridge overnight anyway. My Christmas Eve schedule, last year's ora...
method
Why Did My Bagels Wrinkle After Boiling? 3 Causes, In Order
You held the boil and the skins wrinkled anyway. The three causes in the order to check them, from a baker who has wrinkled more batches than he'd like, plus...
method
What Should You Bake Bagels On? Stone, Steel, Sheet Pan, or Board
Bagels bake upside down on cedar first, then finish on whatever hot surface your kitchen already has. My verdicts on the rest of the lineup, from my Colorado...
gift-ideas
Want to Send Bagels as a Gift? Read This First
A bagel peaks about two hours out of the oven. What that means for bagel delivery services, and the gift that gets around the problem entirely.
method
Why Gluten-Free Bagels Fail: Gummy, Dense, or Falling Apart
Bricks, boil breakups, crumbly slices, cracked tops: I baked them all before our kit recipe worked. What causes each gluten-free failure, and what stands in ...
method
How to Get a Shiny, Blistered Bagel Crust
Twenty seconds per side in malt water, then steam for the first seven minutes. Where bagel shine actually comes from, and why the egg wash stays in the fridge.
method
How to Make Everything Bagel Seasoning Actually Stick
Seed both sides and skip the egg wash. My whole everything-bagel routine, down to the minutes on the boards and the water-mist trick.
gift-ideas
Gifts for Bagel Lovers That Actually Get Used (2026 Guide)
No socks and no totes. The kit for the one who wants to learn, the six tools I use every weekend, and the popular bagel gifts I'd skip.
method
Why Are My Bagels Flat and Dense? 8 Causes, In Order
Eight causes, ranked in the order I check them in my own kitchen: proofing, boil time, shaping, hydration, steam, altitude, surface heat, starter strength. W...
guide
Bagel Boards vs. Proofing Boards vs. Aluminum: An Honest Guide
Five different products are sold as bagel boards and they are not interchangeable. A working map from someone who builds them: cedar, aluminum, DIY, and when...
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Technique notes, troubleshooting guides, and the occasional behind-the-scenes from the workshop. No spam.