Eastern European Jewish migration in the early 1900s brought the form; Montreal's bakers shifted to a honey-water boil (vs NYC's malt) and a wood-fired oven for a sweeter crust. The two landmark bakeries both stand in the Jewish Mile End district.
Chewy ring with caramelized sesame or poppy seed crust; the sweet hint distinguishes it from American versions instantly.
Honey-water boil caramelizes the surface differently than malt-water — sweeter, less malty. Wood-fired oven's thermal mass creates the signature uneven char.
Variations
Sesame (white) and poppy (black) are the only two flavors — anything else marks you as a non-local.
On the Palate
Where Bagel Montrealais sits in the Canadian flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4
How it's made
4 steps · 1 hour 30 min active + 12 hours waiting
- 115 min
Mix 500 g bread flour + 250 ml warm water + 7 g yeast + 30 g sugar + 10 g salt + 30 ml oil + 1 egg; knead 12 min.
- 270 min
First rise 1 hr; divide into 12 balls; poke hole and stretch into rings.
- 310 min
Boil 4 L water + 60 g honey; boil each bagel 1 min per side.
Watch outBoil each bagel a full minute a side in the honey water — that sweet bath sets the skin so it bakes up shiny and lightly caramelized.
- 414 min
Roll boiled bagels in sesame or poppy seeds; bake on stone at 230 °C 14 min until golden.
Watch outBake on the hot stone until the crust is evenly golden and the seeds toast fragrant — about 14 minutes; the uneven char is the Montreal signature.
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