DIY Bagels for Kids (and Adults)

A bagel is a bread roll made with an O-ring and a hole in the middle. The bagel is different from ordinary bread because of its shiny crust and chewy interior. The interior is the result of long processing time, involving two processes called retarding and boiling before it is baked to create the outer crust.

Commercial bagels have bread-like texture because they skip the two processes, but they’re still delicious. There are different bagel styles depending on where you buy them from – you’ll notice differences in texture, chewiness, kilning, and baking methods.

In this article, learn all there is to know about making and eating bagels and find out more about our DIY bagels for kids made easy with one of our favorite baking kits.

The bagel got its name from the Yiddish language name for the bread, pronounced bey-gel. But while bagels are now synonymous with the Jewish culture, they have a fascinating past. Bagels have been around for longer than six centuries, with the earliest rollout probably in Poland.

It is suggested that the Bagel was invented in Germany and carried to Poland during the 14th century, probably beginning with the thick German bread-like pretzels. The theory suggests that German pretzels morphed into the round roll we now know as pretzels. They became famous when Polish Queen Jadwiga chose to eat obwarzanek during Lent.

Another account suggests that bagels were invented in the 1600s for the King of Poland, Jan Sobieski. It is said that the baker created a read in the shape of a beugel (meaning stirrup), which is where the name came from.

At first, Jews were barred from baking bread (because of the connection of Jesus and bread of the Sacrament) – strange as it sounds – as so legally Jews could not have commercial bakeries. In the 13th century, though Polish Prince Boleslaw lifted the restriction and allowed Jews to sell bread like all Christians. The Jews refined the bagel-making process, and you’ll find the best traditional bagels in Jewish-owned bakeries.

And so many centuries later, the bagel has become more popular than doughnuts in America. Today, we spend over $750M on bagels and about $500M on doughnuts every year.

Traditional bagels are not only different from doughnuts in that they are baked while doughnuts are deep-fried. The distinction comes in the bagel-making process, which is very involving. The character of the crust and flavor comes from a long process of cold fermentation called retardation.

In commercial settings, bakers either retard the whole dough or split it into bagels before retardation. Bulk retardation has more effect on flavor while the piece retardation affects everything, including the crust characteristics. The drying of the top during this process gives the thick, chewy crust bagels are known for. Non-retarded bagel recipes don’t produce an equally thick crust.

There are also different ways that commercial bakers form the ring of the bagel. Some deposit dough balls on a belt that forms it into a cylinder, and then around a mandrel to create the ring. Others drop the dough onto a vertical former, and the dough is rolled around it to give the shape with a hole in the middle.

Finally, traditional bagels are boiled before baking. This can be done by steam injection to apply moisture to the surface or by moving the rings in a boiling water bath. The water may have a type of sugar and malt, while sometimes it is plain water that becomes saturated with dextrins and starch. Different methods of water application give different results. Steamed bagels have a softer crust, while the boiled bagels have thicker and chewier shiny crusts.

Bagels usually have toppings that are put before baking. Bagel toppings include grains, nuts, spices, eggs, cheeses, garlic, salt, pieces of fruit and vegetables, etc. Shelved bagels may have preservatives and crumb softeners. Many other additions to the process create distinct and personalized products, which we also call bagels.

The homemade bagel may not go through this entire process of retarding and baking, but the product is an equally delicious breakfast pastry. You can experiment with toppings of all kinds, and even add healthier ingredients to create healthy homemade bagels.

If you want to learn how to bake bread with your children, our homemade bagel baking kit is an excellent place to start. Do it once or twice, and you have breakfast your kids can make. Your teens and tweens will appreciate the quicker process thanks to our premeasured ingredients. The process is more straightforward when you’re teaching a group of kids because getting accurate measurements can be difficult when distracted. And we know by now that baking is an exact science and process where measurements must be precise.

For our homemade bagel baking kit, you’ll have the complete Baketivity baking experience so that you don’t have to struggle with finding the best recipe, ingredients, and tools. We provide a full shopping list with the wet ingredients and baking tools so that you can assemble everything you need before starting.

And of course, there’s new learning and fun with game boards and activity books to keep one or more children engaged during the waiting periods of the baking process. Children of all ages will appreciate step-by-step instructions with pictures – even your preschoolers can follow pictures without understanding the words.

This baking kit is a great way to introduce children with some experience to break-making, which is a different kind of baking. You can discuss these differences with older kids and use the teachable moments and our short lesson to engage with them further. Bake eight yummy, fluffy bagels with our baking kit, and enjoy the Baketivity difference!

Different people eat their bagels in different ways; as long as your topping tastes good on a bagel, you should be free to enjoy it. There is nothing like the “best way to eat bagels”; it all depends on what you like. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Cut in half and toasted– do you toast bagels? You can also slather some butter or margarine for a crustier top.
• Spread with butter or cream cheese – reheat a cold bagel or use freshly-baked bagels for best results. For cheese, allow it to cool a little so that the cheese doesn’t melt.
• Bagel and lox – the delicious combo of cream cheese and sliced lox (a kind of brined salmon) creates a fantastic sandwich. This is garnished with capers, lemon juice, sliced tomatoes, and red onion slices.
• Peanut butter and banana slices – for healthier sweeter feel

You can also use your bagels in place of bread or English muffins when making breakfast sandwiches like eggs sandwiches.

Bagels are a unique baked breakfast product, with a rich history and a fascinating baking process. They are now ubiquitous with the US breakfast; it’s hard to imagine that they didn’t originate in the US! The ingredients making bagels are the same as other bread formulas – flour, water, yeast, and salt – but it’s the making process that makes them distinct!

Have you learned something new about making and eating bagels in this article? Remember to share it with your family and friends, and use our baking kit next time you’re hankering for some homemade bagels.