Bagels.....

Without doubt the most absurd bakery product ever, yet another import from our American cousins that fails to satisfy the British need for completeness, a bagel is utterly nonsensical, why? I hear you say, well, the very fact that this rather small, bland and unfinished dough based item has crept on to the British market, and in so doing pushed the well respected tea cake, barm cake, scuffler, bap or whatever your preference is, down the pecking order of the dough related options, we the British public it seems cant wait to import and then become beguiled by Americana of any type.
Let's hypothesise, say you're peckish, in need of a snack to put you on until a main meal can properly be had, you are given two options, a tea cake with filling or a bagel with filling, which would you choose? Of course it would be the tea cake option, merely because it looks complete, nourishing, hefty, satisfying and bulging with promise, the bagel on the other hand is incomplete, limp and quite frankly annoying with its hole offering nothing but, well, nothing.
Think about anything with a hole in it and the word defective springs to mind, I put it to you that this nasty little import will create havoc upon our great British sensibilities much like the Grey Squirrel.

 

Bagels are truly awful.

 

Walk like an Egyiptian was ok minst.

 

Never understood bagels. Even tried them in the states where people were raving about them and was totally underwhelmed.

On the other hand, as I type I'm tucking into sardines on a halved, freshly baked pain aux céréales. Bloody handsome it is. Might have to go in for another round.

 

Bagels are great especially the spring onion ones, cinnamon ones also

 

And non fattening centres hmmm

 

They are of Polish/Jewish origin, everything else I agree with though.

 

Jewish in origin I think

 

I can take or leave bagels . But I do like Brioche buns/rolls immensely . They are really tasty IMHO.

 

A toasted bagel with half a tub of full fat soft cheese, smoked salmon and a dash of lemon juice is heavenly you absolute philistine.

 

apparently the hole is used so you can carry a lot at once on some string,could have a bagel necklace

 

Bagels are cack.

 

Good energy source. Actually one of the most common pre-race breakfasts for athletes, toasted bagel with peanut butter and jam.

 

what about the bagels evil smaller cousin the pretzel, omg horrid things

 

Used to love visiting friends in London and having one filled with smoked salmon and cheese from the Jewish delicatessen. Love all forms of bread though which isnt much good for the expanding waistline!

 

Find bagels a bit Meh! to be fair. Pretzels as a snack are disgusting - with a salty glaze and a burnt aftertaste.
One of my favourite breads of all time are French Baguettes/Fiselle but only in France. We stayed a few times in Vincennes near the centre of Paris and used to get baguettes from a local Boulangerie at 8 in the morning when still slightly warm and they were magnificent. Pick any Boulangerie though in Paris and you get a great baguette which are crusty and practically hollow.
They bake 2-3 times a day in many of them so breakfast lunch or dinner you can pick them up fresh which is just as well as they lose their 'oomph' very quickly. Spread with french butter and serve with some Camembert and ham or speck - great for breakfast.

Only problem is that after a week my gums above my top front teeth are sore!! I craved some soft sliced Warburtons to give them a rest.
My wife's home made focaccia with rosemary, sun dried tomato and olive runs it a close second though!

 

There’s a joke in there somewhere but I’ll stick with doughnuts and polo mints.

 

"I'm eating Bagels in bed" sang Robbie Williams once.

 

I like a pretzel
But bagels are truly awful.

 

That sounds lovely on a decent bread product, but bagels are over heavy and sweet.