Pizza Today - October 2022 - 14

MAN ON THE STREET SCO TT WIENER
tin, Texas. He dove head-fi rst into bagels,
starting with a project in Minneapolis.
Phil ended up in South Philadelphia to
open his eponymous bagel shop in 2021.
Based on the rave reviews and daily sellouts,
I'd say he made the right move.
Tony Gemignani caught the bug and
lit up San Francisco with his launch of
Dago Bagel, a brand available at his North
Beach Toscano Brothers Bakery and Italian
grocery, Giovanni's Italian Specialties.
Even though pizza and bagels share
A 'Hole' New Future for
Pizzerias
I
don't know if pizza makers are getting
inspired or bored, but I've noticed
a trend in pizzaioli getting serious
about bagel baking. Maybe you've seen
bagel experiments on the social media
accounts of Tony Gemignani, John Arena,
and some of the country's other prominent
pizza makers. Are bagels the next
big trend in pizzerias or is this just a fad?
We fi rst have to acknowledge the
cosmic connection between pizza and
bagels. Introduced to the U.S. as immigrant
foods, both have undergone transformations
resulting in versions that are
more popular than their ancestors. Th eir
doughs are made from the same basic ingredients
(fl our, salt, water and yeast) and
even share the same high protein fl our.
Both products are the subject of a common
(yet inaccurate) myth that the best
versions are made with sacred New York
tap water. And lest we forget that when
pizza and bagel are combined, they create
a dish that can be eaten in the morning,
in the evening and even at suppertime.
Th e fi rst pizza maven I saw crossing the
tracks was Jeff Krupman. Back in 2018,
he added the Bagel Macher brand to his
Bay Area pizzeria, Pizza Hacker. It was a
tasty way to honor his Eastern European
Jewish roots within the context of his
playful pizza restaurant. By doing so, he
was able to utilize a daypart during which
he was previously closed.
Next came Phil Korshak, former head
pizza maker at Home Slice Pizza in Auscommon
ingredients, the two doughs
aren't necessarily interchangeable. While
pizza dough has been trending towards
higher hydration these past few years,
bagels are relatively low in water content.
Th at's because the classic New York bagel
isn't just a roll with a hole in the center;
it's a dense bread with a chewy exterior.
To get that chewy crust, a proper bagel is
boiled before the bake. Th at quick gelatinization
of the bagel's exterior is what
prevents the bread from expanding into a
light and fl uff y loaf.
If you're thinking about adding bagels
to your repertoire, keep in mind the
additional space and equipment you'll
need to boil, bake and store your bagels.
Boiling means you'll need a large pot
or boiling tub. Classic bagel shops bake
on burlap-lined wooden baking boards
before fl ipping their rounds onto the oven
hearth. Th en there are the proofi ng trays
and speed racks you'll need to stage your
bagels overnight (plus the walk-in space
to fi t them). Nothing a pizzeria can't manage
on a small scale, but defi nitely a major
project for a large-scale operation.
I love seeing pizza makers stepping
out of their comfort zones to experiment
with other bread products, especially one
as close to my heart as bagels. Th e few
examples I've mentioned have proven that
great bagels, much like great pizza, are
possible far beyond the confi nes of New
York City's fi ve boroughs.
SCOTT WIENER is the founder of Scott's Pizza Tours in New York City and SliceOutHunger.org Instagram: @scottspizzatours
14 / PIZZATODAY.COM / OCTOBER 2022

http://www.SliceOutHunger.org http://www.PIZZATODAY.COM

Pizza Today - October 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pizza Today - October 2022