Kazimierz Bagel: A Traditional Ring Bread with Kraków Roots

Po polsku: Bajgiel z Kazimierza

Is a bagel the same thing as a Kraków obwarzanek? Not quite, and the difference is easy to taste. The first written mention of bagels goes back to 1610, and today the bajgiel z Kazimierza (the Kazimierz bagel) is linked with Kazimierz in Kraków and has an official place on the Polish list of traditional products.

I like this small story because it starts with a simple bread roll and ends with kings, legends and New York.

What is a bagel?

A bagel (Polish: bajgiel) is a bread roll baked in the shape of a ring. It is often topped with spices and extras: nigella seeds (czarnuszka), caraway, poppy seeds, salt, herb mixes, and also cheese and onion.

Before baking, the dough must be boiled briefly. Kraków’s obwarzanek (a ring-shaped bread) and the pretzel (precelek) are made in a similar way. The result is a bagel with a shiny, crunchy crust and a taste of its own.

Tradition and legends

The first mention of bagels comes from 1610. At that time, the Jewish community had a custom of giving bagels to every woman who had just had a baby. The round shape was meant to symbolise the cycle of human life. People also believed that the golden ring had a magical power and would bring luck to the newborn child.

There is also a legend connected with the Battle of Vienna in 1683. A Jewish baker, grateful to the Polish king Jan III Sobieski for saving the people from the Turkish invaders, gave him a special baked gift as a tribute. It was a ring shaped like a stirrup (in German: Bugel).

The exact origin of the bagel is not known. The Polish word „bajgiel” comes from the Middle or Upper German verb boygen, meaning „to bend”, and the related noun bügel, meaning „stirrup”. In the past the bagel was considered a delicacy, because it was made from expensive white flour.

From Europe to New York

At the beginning of the 20th century, the bagel travelled to the United States with Jewish emigrants. It became especially famous in New York, where it is still one of the most commonly bought rolls. Until 1950 bagels were baked by hand. In the following years, handmade bagels were replaced by machine-made ones.

Bagel or obwarzanek?

Kraków obwarzanki are different from bagels, though people often mix them up. Bakers from Kraków brought the recipe for original New York bagels to the city to show the difference between the two.

Pretzels and bagels are both made from yeast dough kneaded from wheat flour, with or without eggs. The difference appears when the dough is shaped:

• Obwarzanek: the dough is twisted into a spiral and shaped into a ring. After baking it is compact and keeps the texture of the twist.
• Bagel: the dough is not twisted. After baking it has a smooth surface, a crunchy crust and soft, fluffy dough.

What it looks like

A bagel is a roll with a clear hole in the middle. Its diameter is 8-12 cm and it is about 4 cm thick. On top it can have nigella seeds, caraway, poppy seeds, salt, herb or spice mix (a spicy blend with caraway and pepper), cheese or onion.

The outside is crunchy and the inside has an elastic, soft crumb. The colour goes from light golden to dark golden.

What it tastes like

The taste of a bagel is one of a kind. It is neither a typical bread roll nor an obwarzanek. The secret is in lightly boiling the raw rolls in water with baking soda before they go into the oven.

Today bagels come in many kinds, from sweet to sour, with different toppings. They can be served cold or warm. In America they are traditionally served with cream cheese and smoked salmon, or with a paste made from other fish, such as herring or sprats. They are also good with cream cheese and a slice of tomato.

Official recognition

On 19 December 2008 the bajgiel z Kazimierza was entered on the List of Traditional Products (Lista Produktów Tradycyjnych).

More guides: Kraków & Małopolska in English.

Łukasz, Niezwykła Małopolska