Far as I can tell, someone wrote:
>I'm trying to figure out why NYC bagels are so much better than those
>in other parts of the country. Anyone have a suggestion about what
>kind of flour to use?

High gluten, unbleached, unbromated flour. I use Knoxbridge and love
it.

There are great bagels to be found in many many places. I've had them
in Florida and in California and lots of other places over the years.
Boiled or steamed, done correctly, they can be great.

The biggest issue is that most people from outside the New York area
don't know a bagel from Wonderbread, so they just buy what's in the
basket. The same holds true for Kaiser rolls, french and italian breads
and lots more.

In many areas, most people buy their "fresh baked bread" from Wal-Mart,
where absolutely everything feels and tastes like a week old hotdog
roll.

As far as the "it's the water" issue, that's just a rumor kicked around
by people who have perhaps tasted good bagels and know nothing else
about them. "Oh yeah, must be the water..., makes sense to me."

Nevermind that the baker adds 50% more yeast for free volume and uses
the cheapest flour available, and that he learned to bake from the
owners nephew who hated working there and now sits in an office cubicle
trying to dart pencils in the ceiling tiles.

"Gee, Mr. Scruggs, these bagels aren't as good as the ones I bought in
New York..."

"Well, I make 'em the same, Bubba, it's jes that the goldang water here
is different. Cain't be hay-elped."

I even once heard of "some great bagel shop in West Palm Beach where
they truck their water in from New York, just to make great bagels."
Sure, and they sell for $1.98 each, right?

Dave