The New York style bagel is what many Americans think of as a bagel. It’s round and thick with a small hole in the center perfect to split and add desirable toppings. However, these types of bagels originated in Jewish communities in Poland. We can thank Jewish bakers that immigrated to the US in the late 1800s for that chewy, yeast bread we love today. Let’s check out the original Polish version!
Krakow “Obwarzanek Krakowski” Bagel Origins
The Krakow bagel or pretzel (as it might be referenced) is officially referred to as the Obwarzanek Krakowski. This bagel dates to 14th century Poland. The Polish word “Obwarzanek” means “parboiled” which is one of the two cooking methods of bagels. They are quick boiled in hot water to seal the shape prior to baking in the oven. This technique is unique to bagels and originated in Poland. In fact, in 2010, the European Union officially recognized the Krakow bagel (Obwarzanek Krakowski) as the region’s specialty.
My Obwarzanek Krakowski Bagel Recipe
This Krakow bagel recipe I’m sharing with you is based on the ingredients and quantities that Polish baker Kazimierz Czekaj used in registering the Krakow bagel with the European Union. He was very specific in naming ingredients, quantities, and even weight and size of each bagel. With this basic information, I created this recipe following his guidelines. Let’s check it out!
Why are Bagels Cooked 2 Different Ways?
There are two different methods of cooking bagels; both are required to be considered a true bagel. Bagels are first parboiled in boiling water to seal the shape giving them a chewy, slightly sweet exterior (if using barley malt syrup or honey in the water). Then, they are baked completely in the oven giving them the golden color exterior and dry, baked interior. Since parboiling seals the shape, bagels do not expand or grow in the oven like a typical yeast bread. This technique of sealing the exterior to prevent inner expansion is what causes a dense and chewy bread. Without both parboiling and baking, a bagel would not be as chewy or dense; it would instead have a crusty to crunchy exterior and a much bigger rise.
Krakow “Obwarzanek Krakowski” Bagel Ingredients
For these simple bagels, you only need four ingredients plus water. They are yeast, water, bread flour, salt, and barley malt syrup or honey. You can leave them plain or add toppings like flake salt, sesame seeds, and everything bagel seasoning (store-bought or homemade!).
Activate the Yeast
In a small bowl, add 7 grams (2 ¼ teaspoons or 1 package) of active dry yeast. Measure out 240 milliliters (1 cup plus 1 teaspoon) of water and heat to 100˚F-110˚F (38˚C-43˚C). From that, remove ¼ cup (~60 milliliters) of water. Whisk the ¼ cup (~60 milliliters) water in with the yeast and set the remaining water aside for creating the dough. Allow the mixture to set for 10 minutes to bloom becoming bubbly and frothy.
Combine the Ingredients
Mix the Dry Ingredients
In a stand mixer bowl (or large bowl if stirring by hand), measure out 400 grams (3⅓ cups) of bread flour. We use bread flour since it has a high gluten content and will help create the bread’s signature chewiness. To that, add 6 grams (1 teaspoon) of salt. Give the ingredients a quick stir to mix.
TIP: Be sure to fluff, scoop, and level off the flour if using measuring cups. If using the measuring cup to scoop directly from the flour container, you will unintentionally add 1-2 tablespoons of flour PER CUP to the recipe.
Add the Wet Ingredients
With the mixer on low using the dough hook attachment, pour in the yeast mixture and 11 grams (½ tablespoon) of barley malt syrup (or honey). Pour in the remaining water (that was set aside) and knead for 8-10 minutes. Add additional 1 tablespoon of water at a time as needed until the dough is soft and tacky. It shouldn’t be sticky. But it should mound up around the dough hook in the bowl.
TIP: Barley malt syrup is super sticky (more than honey), spray the spoon with cooking spray or oil and any container you intend to place it before adding it to the flour mixture. Oils creates a slick surface to ensure a full 11 grams of barley malt syrup or honey goes into the dough.
Cover to Rise
Once kneaded, mound the dough into a ball at the bottom of the bowl. Grease the top and sides of the dough with cooking spray or oil to help it release easily after rising. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm area 1-2 hours or until doubled in size.
Prepare Baking Sheet
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Dust the parchment paper with flour all over to keep the bagel dough from sticking and it sits and rises.
TIP: If you don’t flour the parchment paper, each bagel WILL stick and make it difficult to remove. You’ll end up with sticky dough on the parchment paper. I’m speaking from first-hand experience! 😉
Divide & Shape Dough into Bagels
Once the dough as doubled, scoop it out of the bowl onto an unfloured work surface. An unfloured work surface gives traction needed to help roll the dough. Deflate the dough and shape it into a log to make it easier to eyeball the cuts.
TIP: If you have any or too much flour on the surface, wipe off the flour and spritz the surface with a little water and wipe it again to dry.
Divide the Bagel Dough
Cut or Weigh 6 Pieces & Divide Each Piece in Half
Divide the dough into 6 pieces to equal 6 bagels. Each piece should weigh no more than (4 ounces or 110 grams). You can eyeball the cuts or weigh each dough piece to ensure equal sizes. Then, divide each of the 6 pieces in half (weighing 55 grams each) to become 12 small pieces of dough. Pair each set so that you still have 6 bagels. Set each pair aside.
Roll Each Half into Ropes
Take one pair and roll each half into 18- 20-inch ropes with the thickness of a pencil. To roll each dough piece into ropes, shape the dough into a tight ball. Place one hand in the center of the dough ball and roll the dough back and forth pressing down to push the dough out towards the ends. When it’s long enough for two hands, place both hands flat, side-by-side, in the center and continue to roll the dough back and forth pressing down to push the dough out towards the rope ends.
TIP: Avoid tapering the rope ends or the bagel with have a thin, skinny section.
Twist the Ropes & Create the Round Bagel Shape
Place both ropes side-by-side so that they touch. With both hands at opposite rope ends, push your hands in opposite directions rolling the dough to create a spiral or twist. Bring the two ends together into a 4.7-6.7-inch circle. Seal the ends by pressing them together. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces. You’ll end up with a total of 6 bagels.
Cover to Rise 30 Minutes to Overnight
Place each shaped bagel dough on the prepared baking sheet. Cover them with plastic wrap or a towel and allow them to rest and rise in a warm area for at least 30 minutes.
TIP: For a make-ahead option, place the bagels covered in the refrigerator overnight. This is a great (my preferred) option if you want to bake and eat them in the morning.
Overnight Bagels Ready for Baking
Whether or not you allowed them to rise 30 minutes or overnight, the bagels are ready for both parboiling and baking. First, preheat the oven to 425˚F (220˚C).
Parboil the Bagels First
Add about 8-9 cups of water to a large, wide mouth stock pot. Heat pot over high heat on the stove until boiling. Add 1 tablespoon of honey (or barley malt syrup) and lower the temperature to medium-high heat or so ensuring the water continues to simmer.
TIP: The sweetness of the honey (or barley malt syrup) adds flavor to the outside of the bagel. The sugar encourages the bagels to brown. The stickiness helps to adhere the toppings to each bagel.
Parboil 1-2 Bagels at a Time
Add 1-2 bagels to the simmering water to parboil. Since these bagels are large in diameter, it’s easier to cook one at time. Set the timer and parboil one side of the bagel for 45 seconds. Then, flip over the bagel using a slotted spatula, slotted spoon, or wooden dowel. Allow the flip side to parboil for another 45 seconds. Remove the bagel using the same slotted spatula, slotted spoon, or wooden dowel and return it on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle each bagel with your preferred bagel toppings. I used my homemade Trader Joe’s Everything Bagel Seasoning, along with both white and black sesame seeds, and flake salt. Repeat parboiling the remaining bagel dough.
Bake the Bagels in the Oven
Place bagels in the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve them warm.
Hot Out of the Oven & Baked!
Close-ups!
Check them out! Notice they are thinner than a typical New York style bagel. The twists are clearly defined. The outside is chewy, and the interior is dense. Parboiling seals the bread to keep it from rising in the oven making it chewy on the outside and dense on the inside.
How do I Eat These Bagels?
Traditionally, these bagels are eaten simply as they are while walking along the streets in Krakow, Poland. This simply means there are no other toppings. In fact, you’ll see little blue-and-yellow Obwarzanek stands (pictured above) peppered all over the city selling these bagels. However, you can always tear into one and dip the pieces in your favorite savory sauce, dip, cream cheese, or butter for extra flavor.
Bagel Final Thoughts
Bagel Making Tips to Consider Along the Way
- The barley malt and/or honey provide a little sweetness. They feed the yeast, encourage gluten development, act as a glue to hold the toppings, and caramelize the bread as they bake.
- Prepare the dough the evening before the morning you want to cook/bake the bagels.
- Dust flour on the parchment paper or the bagel dough will stick.
- Weigh each dough piece to produce equal sizes and shapes.
- Roll and shape the dough on an unfloured work surface so there’s plenty of traction to roll and achieve desired shape.
- Maintain the same thickness as you roll from center to ends of each rope, so the ends are not too thin.
- Seal the ends well to prevent separation as they boil.
- Depending on the width of your stockpot, boiling 1 bagel at a time is easier to manipulate and flip over in the pot. Keep in mind that you’re only boiling 6 bagels with less than a minute per side, so it goes fast. While one bagel boils, top the previously boiled bagel.
- Boil only 30 seconds to 1 minute per side or the bagels seem wet even after baking in the oven.
- A wide, slotted spatula is the most effective tool in flipping and lifting these bagels. Their traditional wide, thin ring shape make them flimsy and can break if not careful.
- Add any toppings just after removing each bagel from the boiling water. The “sticky” water adheres the toppings to the dough.
- The toppings go a long way on these thin bagels, careful not to overtop or overseason them.
Baker’s Perspective
American Perspective Comparing Traditional Polish Bagels to American Bagels
This traditional Krakow take on a bagel is definitely NOT an American bagel. The ingredients are about as simple as they come consisting of only 4 with water. The recipe is very much like a basic American bagel version. The toppings and baking techniques are virtually the same to include sealing the bagels in boiling water and then baking them completely in the oven. What makes the Polish version unique is rolling the dough into ropes and twisting them together into a narrow ring but wider in diameter shape. The assembly line of rolling these into ropes was actually cathartic and fun once you find your rhythm. It is the original Polish version that invented this form of cooking by boiling first then baking that make bagels completely unique from other breads.
Make-Ahead is Best When Eating them for Breakfast
If you want to make these for breakfast, I found it best to do all the prep work the afternoon or evening before the morning you want to eat them. That would include making the dough, letting it rise, and shaping the dough into bagels. It took about an hour the morning of to boil the water, boil each in water, and bake them in the oven. If you want these bagels for lunch or an afternoon snack, you will have plenty of time to make them in the morning.
Taster’s Perspective
These Krakow bagels remind us of an American bagel with subtleties of a soft pretzel. Their overall appearance resembles a soft pretzel due to the twists. The interior is dense and chewy like an American bagel and pretzel. The simple bread flavor is more like a bagel. I can taste a hint of the barley malt like in a pretzel; however, it’s so nuanced, maybe most wouldn’t notice it. The exterior is very chewy making them reminiscent of a bagel or soft pretzel.
The toppings clearly define the flavors. The everything bagel topping adds a great sesame, onion, garlic, and salty flavor to a simple bread. These bagels are really good with just a simple sprinkling of flaked salt, too. You can enjoy these regardless of your love level for bread, because these are thin enough that any toppings and sauces or dips would appease even the non-bread eater. Personally, we enjoyed them hot out of the oven without any additional sauces or dips. If you’re looking for an international take on a bagel, give these a try. They make a great breakfast or snack any time of day. 😊
Check out my YouTube video for the visual details of making these bagels. “Polish Krakow Bagel: 4-Ingredient Obwarzanek Krakowski Bagels have Unique Twists & Baked 2 Ways!”
Polish Krakow Bagels: Traditional Obwarzanek Krakowski Bagels
Ingredients
- 7 g (2 ¼ tsp or 1 pkg) active dry yeast
- 240 ml (1 cup + 1 tsp) warm water, divided heated to 100˚F-110˚F (38˚C-43˚C)
- 400 g (3⅓ cups) bread flour fluffed, scooped, and leveled off if using a measuring cup
- 6 g (1 tsp) salt
- 11 g (½ tbsp) barley malt syrup honey, brown rice syrup, or agave syrup
- 2½ – 3 quarts (8-9 cups) of water in large stock pot for parboiling
- 1 tbsp honey or barley malt syrup added to water for parboiling
Optional Toppings
- Poppy seeds
- Sesame seeds
- Dried minced onion
- Everything Bagel seasoning
- Coarse or flake salt
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together yeast and ¼ cup (~60 ml) warm water (heated to 100˚F-110˚F) taken from 240 ml. Allow to set for 10 minutes to bloom becoming bubbly and frothy.
- In a stand mixer bowl, whisk together flour and salt. With the mixer on low using the dough hook attachment, pour in yeast mixture and barley malt syrup (or honey). Pour in remaining water and knead for 8-10 minutes. Add additional water or flour as needed, 1 tablespoon of either at a time, until the dough is soft and tacky. It shouldn’t be sticky.TIP: If not using a stand mixer, stir ingredients in a bowl. Knead by hand on a floured surface for 10-12 minutes.
- Once kneaded, mound the dough into a ball at the bottom of the bowl, grease the top and sides of the dough with cooking spray or oil. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm area 1-2 hours or until doubled in size.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and dust with flour.TIP: Flour is needed on the parchment paper to prevent the bagels from sticking as they sit and rise.
- Scoop the dough out onto an unfloured work surface. Divide the dough into 6 pieces; no bigger than 4 oz (110 g). Divide each piece in half. Roll each half into18- 20-inch ropes with the thickness of a pencil. Place both ropes side-by-side. Place both hands at opposite rope ends. Push your hands in opposite directions rolling the dough to create a twist or spiral. Bring the two ends together into a 4.7-6.7-inch circle and seal by pressing them together. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces.TIPS: An unfloured work surface gives traction needed to help roll the dough. If you have too much flour on the surface, wipe off the flour and spritz the surface with a little water. To roll each dough piece into ropes, shape the dough into a tight ball. Place one hand in the center of the dough ball and roll the dough back and forth pressing down to push the dough out towards the ends. When it’s long enough for two hands, place both hands flat side-by-side in the center and continue to roll the dough back and forth pressing down to push the dough out towards the rope ends. Try not to taper the ropes ends or the bagel with have a thin, skinny section.
- Place each shaped bagel dough on the prepared baking sheet. Cover them with plastic wrap or a towel and allow them to rest and rise in a warm area for at least 30 minutes. For a make-ahead option, place them covered in the refrigerator overnight and bake them in the morning.
- Preheat oven to 425˚F (220˚C).
- Add 8-9 cups of water to a large, wide mouth stock pot. Heat over high heat on the stove until boiling. Add 1 tbsp honey (or barley malt syrup) and lower the temperature to medium-high heat or so ensuring the water continues to simmer.
- Add 1-2 bagels to the simmering water to cook. Flip over each bagel at 45 seconds using a slotted spatula, slotted spoon, or wooden dowel. Allow to cook for another 45 seconds until set. Remove each bagel using the same slotted spatula, slotted spoon, or wooden dowel and place each on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle each with preferred bagel toppings. Repeat with remaining bagel dough.TIP: Since these bagels are large in diameter, it’s easier to cook one at time and to use a large, wide slotted spatula to flip and lift them.
- Place bagels on baking sheet in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.
Video
Notes
Check out some of these other recipes.
Everything Bagel Seasoning (Trader Joe’s Copycat)
Classic Italian Focaccia Flatbread
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please share it. Check out my YouTube Channel as well to see videos of kitchen tips, blog bakes, and dishes. Until next time, go bake the world!