We’ve been having the best time trying out all different kinds of Airbnb Online Experiences and this Montreal Style Bagel class with Lincoln Apartment Bakery was no exception! We loved the instructor, pace of the class and all the little tips, tricks and informational tid-bits she threw in throughout our time together. If you’d like to check out the class for yourself, you can find it here!
We learned that Montreal style bagels are an enriched bread that came to Montreal in 1919. They differ from the typical New York style bagel we see around here in that the recipe includes honey which causes this bagel to be a bit sweeter. The other big difference is in the look of the final bagel- these are meant to have larger holes in the middle of them and be a bit thinner. You can add all sorts of different extras into the proofed dough; cinnamon sugar, raisins, jalapeños… Or you can add toppings on the outside of the bagel like we did! We ended up loving the poppy seeds on this sweeter style bagel.
To get the full experience, you should absolutely take this awesome online class, but if you’re interested in checking out the recipe you can it on their website and below are a few of my favorite tips we learned in class!
Tip #1: When measuring out the honey for your recipe, put a small amount of oil on the inside of the measuring cup and this will help keep the honey from sticking! Then it’ll just easily pour right into your bowl.
Tip #2: Buy instant yeast if possible! This type of yeast is milled more finely and has less layers that need to be hydrated in order to activate.
Tip #3: Make the dough the day before and let it side on the fridge overnight for fresh bagels with less hassle in the morning! Just pull it out of the fridge one hour before you’d like to bake.
Tip #4: Rolling your bagel! Our favorite method was the ball method. If you take your thumb and pointer finger on one hand, make the okay sign and push the ball of dough through that little hole, you’ll hav a perfect little round blob. From there just push your pointer and thumb fingers through the center of the bagel to create a hole and start gently pulling.
Tip #5: Be sure to have a good variety of different toppings! The traditional Montreal style bagel is served with butter and cream cheese- it’s good, trust me 😉 We tried some bagel sandwiches and fruit toppings, too!
Happy Bageling <3
