It’s tempting to call the hole a logo—instantly recognizable, endlessly imitated. But in a bagel, the hole isn’t decoration; it’s engineering. That open center drives how heat moves, how the crust forms, and how your toppings taste from first bite to last.
Even bake:
- Heat travels through the center as well as around the outside, so the ring cooks quickly and uniformly. That’s how we achieve a glossy exterior with a springy interior instead of a bready middle and pale edges.
Crust-to-crumb ratio:
- The hole increases surface area relative to volume, which means more crust per bite. More crust equals more Maillard flavor—the toasty notes that make a plain bagel taste complete even before the schmear.
Handling and transport:
- Rings can be lifted, flipped, and carried efficiently—on peels, in pairs, or by the dozen on rods. This keeps shapes intact and seeds where they belong.
Toppings in balance:
- Because there’s less dense center, seasoning spreads more evenly. A well-shaped bagel delivers sesame, poppy, onion, or garlic in every quadrant rather than front-loading all the flavor on the crown.
Shape discipline:
- We roll and seal tight rings so they hold through the boil. A seal that opens can widen the hole too much, flattening the profile and changing chew. The aim is a center big enough to promote even baking, small enough to maintain structure.
Your experience:
- That first bite—crisp edge, glossy pull, creamy spread—exists because of purposeful design. The hole is a promise kept by process: mix, shape, proof, boil, bake. It’s the simplest reminder that small choices change outcomes.
At Go Bagels, we shape with intention so form serves flavor. The iconic silhouette is part of the joy; the texture it creates is the reason you’ll reach for another.
