1) They're not baked long enough. The ultimate bagel is soft on the inside with a firm crisp on the outside - sort of like a French baguette but doughier inside. The only way to correct it is to freeze any bagel you buy (unless you're in NYC), then stick it in the toaster oven prior to eating for ten minutes. That will crisp the outside while keeping the innards soft and lovable.
2) They're too big. The early 20th c. bagels were about half the size - about the size of a hockey puck. The full bagel today is a meal by itself. Then when you add the schmear and lox you're into dinner territory. But eating half a bagel isn't an option...
If you're a bagel connoisseur, this article is also good:
My problem with bagels is they have an appearance of being basically healthy, like wraps, whereas they've actually as many refined carbs as equivalent-sized donuts! Anyone who is even vaguely health-conscious should be avoiding them like the plague.
There's that too but from the size problem. Still your comparison is probably off since a donut is more likely a snack, while a bagel, properly decorated, is a meal. Then again, I grew up eating bagels for breakfast while donuts were a special treat with breakfast.
1) They're not baked long enough. The ultimate bagel is soft on the inside with a firm crisp on the outside - sort of like a French baguette but doughier inside. The only way to correct it is to freeze any bagel you buy (unless you're in NYC), then stick it in the toaster oven prior to eating for ten minutes. That will crisp the outside while keeping the innards soft and lovable.
2) They're too big. The early 20th c. bagels were about half the size - about the size of a hockey puck. The full bagel today is a meal by itself. Then when you add the schmear and lox you're into dinner territory. But eating half a bagel isn't an option...
If you're a bagel connoisseur, this article is also good:
Was Life Better When Bagels Were Smaller? http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A07E1D7103EF...