Montreal-Style Bagels

Ingredients

Dough

Mix and knead until smooth and very stiff

• 500g (4 cups) bread flour (12-13% protein minimum) — high-gluten flour works even better
• 200g (¾ cup + 1½ tbsp) warm water (80-85°F / 27-29°C)
• 9g (1 tbsp) instant yeast
• 100g (2 large eggs (100g)) large eggs — about 50g each, lightly beaten
• 40g (3 tbsp) vegetable oil
• 40g (2 tbsp) honey — for the dough
• 10.5g (1¾ tsp) fine sea salt

Boiling Water

Sweetened boil gives Montreal bagels their signature glossy, sweet crust

• 3800g (4 quarts) water
• 60g (3 tbsp) honey

Toppings (Choose Your Own)

Traditional Montreal bagels are usually sesame or poppy, applied heavily

• 60g (6 tbsp) sesame seeds — traditional choice
• 60g (6 tbsp) poppy seeds — second traditional choice

Total flour: 500g

Hydration: 40%

Pro tip: Roll the ropes thinner than you think you need to, Montreal bagels are traditionally narrower and denser than New York bagels, with a smaller hole.

Equipment

Method

Mix the Dough (20 minutes)

Montreal bagel dough is enriched with egg and oil, softer to handle than a plain water bagel, but still much stiffer than sandwich bread dough.

1. Combine wet and dry. In a stand mixer bowl, combine the bread flour, warm water, instant yeast, eggs, oil, honey, and salt.
2. Mix on low. Using the dough hook, mix on low speed for 2-3 minutes until a shaggy dough forms.
3. Knead on medium. Increase to medium speed and knead for 10-12 minutes, until smooth, stiff, and pulling away from the bowl sides.
4. Windowpane test. Pinch off a piece and stretch it thin. It should stretch without tearing, the windowpane test confirms your gluten is developed enough.

Tip: The dough should feel dense and slightly springy, not soft or tacky. Resist adding water if it sticks, add a little flour instead.

First Rise (1-1.5 hours)

Montreal bagels get a shorter, controlled rise, we're building structure, not maximizing volume.

1. Shape into a ball. Form the dough into a tight ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl.
2. Cover and rest. Cover and let rise at room temperature (70-75°F / 21-24°C) for 1-1.5 hours, until increased by about 50%, not doubled.

Wait: PT1H15M

Divide and Hand-Roll (20 minutes)

Montreal bagels are hand-rolled into ropes, not punched with a hole, giving a narrower hole and denser bite.

1. Start the oven now. Set your oven to 500°F (260°C) before you touch the dough. It needs 30 to 45 minutes to actually get there, and it should be fully heated by the time the rings finish resting.
2. Divide the dough. Turn onto an unfloured surface and divide into 10 equal pieces, about 90g each.
3. Roll into ropes. Roll each piece into a rope about 9-10 inches long, tapering slightly at the ends.
4. Form the ring. Wrap the rope around your hand, overlap the ends by 1.5 inches, and roll firmly on the counter to seal into a ring.
5. Rest briefly. Place shaped rings on a parchment-lined sheet and rest 15 to 20 minutes. The oven should already be climbing.

Tip: Keep the hole smaller than you think it should be, it widens naturally as the bagel proofs and boils.

Boil in Honey Water (15 minutes)

Montreal bagels are boiled in honey-sweetened water, never with malt or baking soda, giving a sweeter crust and glossier finish than a New York bagel. Montreal bagels take a slightly longer boil than New York style, because honey water doesn't set a crust as fast as malt and baking soda.

1. Preheat the oven. Confirm your oven is fully heated to 500°F (260°C) with a rack in the center.
2. Bring water to a boil. Fill a large pot with 3800g (4 quarts) of water and stir in the honey. Bring to a rolling boil.
3. Boil in batches. Working with 2-3 bagels at a time, lower them into the boiling water. Boil 45-60 seconds per side.
4. Drain and top. Lift out with a slotted spoon, let excess water drip off, then press the wet side into sesame or poppy seeds.

Tip: Because there's no soda in the boil, the crust stays paler and sweeter, don't expect the deep amber color of a New York bagel.

Bake at High Heat (16-18 minutes)

Traditional Montreal bagels come from wood-fired ovens, so we replicate that intensity with the hottest home oven setting.

1. Arrange on baking sheets. Place topped bagels on parchment-lined sheets, spaced 2 inches apart.
2. Work in two batches. Boil and bake five bagels, then boil and bake the other five. Ten bagels will not fit on one rack, and crowding them steams the crust instead of setting it. Keep the second five on their sheet at room temperature while the first batch bakes.
3. Bake. Bake at 500°F (260°C) for 16-18 minutes, rotating halfway, until deeply golden.
4. Cool. Transfer to a wire rack and cool at least 15 minutes before slicing.

Hand-Rolled Ropes

Montreal bagels are always hand-rolled into ropes and joined into a ring, the single biggest technique difference from New York-style bagels.

Rope Method (Traditional) (recommended)

Roll each portion into a rope and join the ends into a ring.

1. Roll and join. Roll into a 9-10 inch rope, wrap around your hand, and seal the overlapping ends.

Proof test: Press a shaped ring gently with a finger. It should spring back slowly and leave a slight indent. This is the one place Montreal breaks from the New York bagels in this pantry. Those use a float test because they go through a long cold retard and you need proof the fermentation actually happened. Montreal gets a short bench rest and no retard, so it goes into the boil deliberately under-proofed. The finger test is the right check here.

High-Heat Bake

Montreal bagels bake hotter and faster than New York bagels to mimic a wood-fired oven's intensity.

Oven: 260°C / 500°F. Internal temperature when done: 93-96°C / 200-205°F.

Conventional Oven (Recommended) (recommended)

Equipment: Standard oven, baking sheets, parchment

1. Work in two batches. Boil and bake five bagels, then boil and bake the other five. Ten bagels will not fit on one rack, and crowding them steams the crust instead of setting it. Keep the second five on their sheet at room temperature while the first batch bakes.
2. Preheat and bake. Preheat to 500°F (260°C). Bake 16-18 minutes, rotating halfway, until deeply golden.

Convection Oven

Equipment: Convection oven

1. Work in two batches. Boil and bake five bagels, then boil and bake the other five. Ten bagels will not fit on one rack, and crowding them steams the crust instead of setting it. Keep the second five on their sheet at room temperature while the first batch bakes.
2. Preheat and bake. Preheat to 475°F (245°C). Bake 14-16 minutes, watching carefully.

Note: Because there's no baking soda in the boil, color develops mostly from the hot oven, don't pull them early expecting NY-bagel color.

Storage

• Room temperature: Best eaten same day, up to 2 days in a paper bag at room temperature
• Refrigerated: Not recommended, accelerates staling
• Frozen: Slice before freezing, freeze up to 3 months, toast directly from frozen

Because of the egg and honey, these stale faster than plain water bagels, freeze anything you won't eat within 48 hours.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why don't Montreal bagels use baking soda in the boil?

Traditional Montreal bagels rely on honey alone for the boil, giving a sweeter, paler crust than the malt-and-soda boil used for New York bagels.

Can I skip the eggs?

The egg gives Montreal bagels their signature richer color and softer bite. You can omit it, but the texture drifts closer to a New York bagel.

My bagels came out too big around the hole.

Roll your ropes a little thinner and keep the hole smaller than feels natural. It widens on its own during proofing and boiling.

Can I use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour?

Yes, but expect a softer, less chewy bagel. Bread flour's higher protein gives better structure for the dense Montreal texture.

How do I store leftovers?

Montreal bagels stale faster than New York bagels because of the egg enrichment, so eat within a day or two, or freeze right away.

Nutrition

Per serving (1 bagel (about 100g)): 260 calories, 46g carbohydrates, 9g protein, 5g fat, 2g fiber, 300mg sodium. Makes 10 servings.