CATEGORY
Bagels
2009 CHEFSBEST® AWARD FOR BEST TASTE WINNER
Thomas'
What Makes a Great Bagel?
Nothing greets the morning quite like a good bagel. Just as important as the other usual suspects—namely a newspaper and coffee—this dependable a.m. staple is sure to get the day started right.
A high-quality fresh bagel should have a plump, rounded shape with a detectable center hole. The exterior crust color should be a medium brown color, while the interior crumb will have a white or cream color. It’s normal for bagels to have small air pockets here and there; expect noticeable pieces of bran or germ in the whole grain variety and whole, intact fruit in the blueberry version.
The best bagels have a slight aroma to them, even before being toasted. You’ll notice baked notes like fully fermented flour and yeast, and even a slight caramelization from time to time.
A good bagel is a simple bagel: fresh and straightforward. You’ll taste a slight sweetness, followed by even more subtle saltiness and sourness. Those same aroma notes of fully fermented flour, slight caramelization, and yeast should contribute, but the real litmus test is a bagel’s texture. After biting through the satisfying crust, a softer and moister crumb should be revealed. A quality bagel will dissolve relatively easily, and have pronounced density without being tough.
We conducted our test like any self-respecting bagel connoisseur would: toasted, and served with a side of cream cheese.
We know what makes a great bagel, but what makes a bad one?
Some of the worst bagels we tested had pale, under-baked sides with uneven bottoms. Others had a stale, fermented aroma and a husky, cardboard-like texture.
Why is Thomas’ the best bagel?
Thomas’ won the ChefsBest Award due to its fresh character, moist crumb, and great chew. It performed well in our test, improving the overall taste when coupled with cream cheese. Far from a one-hit wonder, Thomas’ was also a versatile team player, making a great sandwich or pizza ingredient when called upon.
Thomas’ was also awarded the Best Taste Award for Blueberry and Whole Grain White Bagels.
Other Leading Brands:
Pepperidge Farm, Sara Lee, Nature’s Own, Weight Watchers
ONE-STEP IDEAS
Cut stale bagels into cubes and use in your favorite holiday dressing recipe.
To make lowfat bagel crisps, slice bagels into very thin rounds, brush lightly with oil and bake until crisp.
Split and fill with scrambled eggs, bacon and cheese for a great breakfast sandwich.
TOOLS
Email This
Share This
TASTING
TERMINOLOGY
PRODUCT
FUN FACTS
- A Montreal-style bagel is boiled in honey-sweetened water, while a New York-style bagel is boiled in unsweetened water.
- Bagels are traditionally made of yeasted dough that is boiled before it is baked.
- Mattoon, Illinois, is the bagel capital of the world and bakes more than 60,000 bagels for its annual bagel breakfast.
The ChefsBest Award for Best Taste is awarded to the brand rated highest overall among leading brands by independent professional chefs.
