Inventing the Cleveland Bagel

As seen in: Edible Cleveland, Photo by Laura Watilo Blake

When one door closes, the oven door opens. At least that was the case for Dan “Bagelman” Herbst last spring when he found himself laid off and finally with enough spare time to fulfill his dream of bringing the perfect bagel to Cleveland.

Drawing inspiration from time spent in the center of the bagel universe (aka New York City), Herbst has developed a proprietary recipe that blends both Montreal– and New York-style methods. The Montreal style, usually made with malt and sugar, but no salt, is always baked in a wood-fired oven. You’ll notice bagels made in this fashion look very rustic and have a bigger hole than the New York-style bagel, which is puffier, moister, and less sweet. Try to ask Herbst more about how exactly he’s combined the two styles and you’ll be met with polite silence. He’s serious about protecting his secret recipe.

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