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January\u2019s most popular recipe was\u2026Homemade Bagels! Fun. I love how ambitious you readers are, going to great lengths to level up brunch. It\u2019s worth it. I made these at home and they were the crustiest, chewiest bagels I\u2019ve ever had. (Probably because they were the freshest bagels I\u2019ve ever had.) I spoke with the recipe\u2019s creator, Test Kitchen editor Jesse Szewczyk, to get the scoop on his development process, and find out his go-to bagel order.<\/p>\n
Nina Moskowitz: Did you grow up eating bagels?<\/strong><\/p>\n Jesse Szewczyk:<\/strong> Not at all. I grew up in Illinois, so there was no bagel culture whatsoever. We got an Einstein Bros Bagels when I was teenager and that was my first introduction to them. I thought they were high-class.<\/p>\n NM:<\/strong> Why did you develop this recipe?<\/strong><\/p>\n JS:<\/strong> The easy answer is, we were surprised to find out there wasn\u2019t an existing bagel recipe on Bon App\u00e9tit. January is maybe the one month of the year we figured people might be down to try such a project. And our suspicions were right. The people of BA Bake Club killed it this month.<\/p>\n NM: How many tests did this recipe take you?<\/strong><\/p>\n JS:<\/strong> This was not a recipe that came quickly. Around 15 tests, and that\u2019s not counting cross tests, recipe videos, and photoshoots.<\/p>\n NM:<\/strong> What\u2019s your favorite bagel order when you go out?<\/strong><\/p>\n JS:<\/strong> A sesame bagel with cream cheese and lox. But I live in NYC, so I can\u2019t afford lox.<\/p>\n NM:<\/strong> Toasted or not toasted?<\/strong><\/p>\n JS:<\/strong> Not toasted. I don\u2019t like when cream cheese gets all melty on a warm bagel.<\/p>\n NM: And where\u2019s your go-to spot in the city?<\/strong><\/p>\n JS:<\/strong> Bagel World on Dekalb Ave. It\u2019s close by, so it\u2019s automatically the best.<\/p>\n NM: I love that this recipe lets you choose your own adventure with the toppings. What were some that you tried in testing?<\/strong><\/p>\n JS:<\/strong> I tried Taj\u00edn, but it didn\u2019t hold up well (it burnt), plus the acidity was a little weird. I also tried gochugaru and sugar, which was the perfect balance of sweet and spicy with a little crunch.<\/p>\n NM: What was your favorite topping after all the tests?<\/strong><\/p>\n