Can you eat bagels without toasting them

Q: Can you have bagels cold?

Bagels taste best when theyre warm, as their insides get hard and tough once theyve cooled off. Unless youve purchased a fresh-baked bagel - meaning less than six hours old - youll want to toast your bagel before eating it.

Q: Can I microwave a bagel instead of toasting it?

Heres how to toast a bagel in the microwave: Cut your bagel in half using a sharp knife. You can also toast two bagels at once by cutting them both in half. Place the bagel halves cut side up on a microwavable plate. Put the plate in the microwave and let it cook for about 30 seconds.

Anytime people gather to discuss one of the most pressing issues of the day—what is the most proper and delicious way to eat a bagel—heated (pun intended) arguments ensue. So I have decided that we are going to settle it once and for all, right here on Serious Eats, with the first and probably last Serious Eats Bagel Debate. As you are about to hear, there are many subtle nuances to this freighted issue.

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Can you have bagels Raw?
Can you have bagels cold?
Can I microwave a bagel instead of toasting it?

First let's define our terms.

In the New York Times I wrote:

A bagel is a round bread made of simple, elegant ingredients: high-gluten flour, salt, water, yeast, and malt. Its dough is boiled, then baked, and the result should be a rich caramel color; it should not be pale and blond. A bagel should weigh four ounces or less and should make a slight cracking sound when you bite into it instead of a whoosh. A bagel should be eaten warm and, ideally, should be no more than four or five hours old when consumed.

A few more bagel stipulations from my Times story:

Bagels do not need six ounces of cream cheese on them. They only need a schmear. Cream cheese made without guar gum is optimal, but it is hard to find. (You can still find fine natural cream cheese at the Fairway markets and Russ & Daughters in New York, and Zingerman's in Ann Arbor, Mich., makes a great, larger curd cream cheese that is available by mail.) On the subject of salmon, it should be Nova, and it should be sliced to order. A good bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon does not have to be toasted, as contrast with the fat and salt will be provided by the crunchy crust of a properly made bagel exterior.

But a buttered bagel should almost always be toasted, so that you get that great, rich melted butter taste. Better yet, you can achieve the same effect if you buy your bagels fresh, still warm from the oven. No toasting needed!

I wrote this a few years ago, but I feel compelled to update and expand my bagel findings.

A bagel that is not fresh out of the oven, that is at least six hours old, does need to be toasted, whether it is going to be buttered or topped with cream cheese, nova or both. Otherwise it will be too hard. A bagel that has been sliced and frozen obviously needs to be toasted when brought back to life.

Badly made bagels that have not been boiled and baked, like those awful rolls with holes they incorrectly call bagels at places like Dunkin' Donuts, Au Bon Pain, Panera, and McDonald's, must be toasted to have even a remote chance at being tasty and satisfying. A Starbucks bagel also needs to be toasted.

Outside New York City, where I have eaten bagels in at least 25 states and six countries, it can be difficult to find bagels that do not have to be toasted. Montreal has a fascinating bagel tradition. Its very small bagels are made in a wood-burning oven and sweetened with honey. They do not need to be toasted if they are eaten within four hours of being purchased (why anyone would wait that long is beyond me). After four hours, Montreal bagels join the ranks of need-to-be-toasted bagels.

I have made many pronouncements here. But as Serious Eats is an eatocracy, I would like to hear others weigh in on this important topic.

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Bagels are small, golden brown circles of bread that are crisp on the outside, and soft on the inside. While bagels are typically associated with breakfast food, you can eat bagels for any meal of the day with any number of savory or sweet toppings. For an optimal bagel-eating experience, be sure to heat and slice your bagel before enjoying your bagel open-faced or as a sandwich.

1
Toast your bagel if it is not fresh from the oven. Bagels taste best when they’re warm, as their insides get hard and tough once they’ve cooled off. Unless you’ve purchased a fresh-baked bagel - meaning less than six hours old - you’ll want to toast your bagel before eating it.[1]
2
Place your bagel in an oven set to 375 °F (191 °C) for 4-5 minutes. Toasting your bagel before slicing it will give your bagel a crisp exterior, and moist, chewy center. Reheat your bagel in a convection or a toaster oven until your bagel is crisp and hot to the touch.[2]
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3
Slice and toast your bagel in a pop-up toaster for a quicker product. If you only have a pop-up toaster oven, slice your bagel before attempting to toast it. While it’s preferable to toast the bagel before slicing in order to retain the moisture of the bread, reheating a sliced bagel in a pop up toaster oven will not ruin your bagel.
4
Use a sharp, serrated knife to slice your bagel in half. If you want to add toppings to your bagel, cut your bagel in half horizontally. Place your bagel on a cutting board and stabilize the top of the bagel with your non-dominant hand. Use a sharp knife to make a clean slice through the side of the bagel.[3]
- If you plan on eating your bagel whole and without any toppings, skip this step and eat your bagel!

1
Butter your bagel for a simple, tasty combo. Spread butter on the inside of a fresh-baked or freshly-reheated bagel. Use a knife to spread a thin layer - about 1 tablespoon (15 ml) - of butter evenly on both sides of your bagel, and enjoy your bagel.[4]
2
Spread 2 oz of cream cheese on your bagel for a classic taste. Allow your bagel to cool for 2-3 minutes so that your cream cheese won’t get melty, and then use a knife to smear cream cheese evenly on both sides of your bagel.[5]
3
Prepare an open-faced smoked salmon bagel for an elevated bagel. Transform a humble bagel with the delicious combination of sliced lox and cream cheese. Spread cream cheese on both sides of your sliced bagel, and top each half with 1 oz. of cream cheese and 1 oz. of smoked salmon.[6]
- Traditional garnishes for a bagel with lox include sliced tomato, capers, lemon juice, and thin slices of red onion.
4
Top your bagel with peanut butter and sliced banana for a sweeter option. Spread 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of peanut butter evenly on both sides of your bagel, and top with fresh slices of banana. You can also experiment with variations on the PB&B bagel by subbing the banana for a smear of jelly or jam, or by using Nutella instead of peanut butter.[7]
5
Transform your bagel into an egg sandwich. If you’re in need of a hearty breakfast, the bagel is a great vehicle for an egg sandwich. Top your bagel with fried or scrambled eggs, breakfast sausage, cheese, and tomato.[8]
6
Use your bagel as the bread for any sandwich. If you have a hankering for any kind of sandwich, make a bagel sandwich by layering ingredients between your sliced bagel halves. Feel free to get creative with toppings and condiments![9]

1
Eat your bagel open-faced. After adding toppings to your sliced bagel, you can choose to eat your bagel open-faced, as if the bagel were two slices of toast. Any of the topping combinations listed above can be enjoyed as an open-faced bagel.
2
Eat your bagel like a sandwich. Once you’ve dressed your bagel, put the two halves together and eat your bagel like a sandwich. This is a great option for eating a bagel with many toppings, as the closed sandwich style helps guarantee proper bread-to-topping ratios when you take a bite.[10]
- Bagel sandwiches are also great for on-the-go meals, as they’re easier to transport than open-faced bagels.
- Add some deli meat and veggies to your bagel for a tasty lunch.
3
If you are hungry for a bagel sandwich, slice the bagel vertically in half before eating it. While this step is not absolutely necessary, cutting your bagel vertically in half once you’re finished adding toppings will allow for an ideal toppings-to-crust ratio when you bite into your bagel.[11]

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Question
How do I eat it though?

I_am_awesome53
Community Answer
Pick up the bagel with two hands. Put it in your mouth and take a bite. Chew it and then swallow. Repeat until the bagel has disappeared.
Question
My bagels are always too crunchy for my liking. How do I fix that?

Try toasting your bagels for less time. The longer bagels are toasted, the more crunchy they end up being.
Question
My dog eats all the bagels, what should I do?

You could put the bagels up high, in a locked cabinet to prevent your dog from eating the bagels. You could also keep your dog out of your kitchen if possible.

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Article SummaryX

To eat a bagel, start by slicing it in half and toasting it in a pop-up toaster, since bagels taste best when they're warm. Alternatively, warm it in a 375° Fahrenheit oven for 5 minutes, and slice it afterwards for a crisp crust and moist center. Then, add toppings, such as butter, cream cheese, or smoked salmon for an easy breakfast. You can also use it as the bread for any sandwich by layering the ingredients between the bagel halves. For tips on how to make a bagel breakfast sandwich, read on!

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Can you have bagels Raw?

Good bagels absolutely do not need to be toasted. They are prized for their chewiness. The textural contrast between the tough-but-not-brittle crust and the tender-but-chewy middle is the very essence of bagelry, what makes it different from a roll with a hole.

Can you have bagels cold?

Bagels taste best when they're warm, as their insides get hard and tough once they've cooled off. Unless you've purchased a fresh-baked bagel - meaning less than six hours old - you'll want to toast your bagel before eating it.

Can I microwave a bagel instead of toasting it?

Here's how to toast a bagel in the microwave: Cut your bagel in half using a sharp knife. You can also toast two bagels at once by cutting them both in half. Place the bagel halves cut side up on a microwavable plate. Put the plate in the microwave and let it cook for about 30 seconds.