Are there eggs in bagels?
In this article, we will answer the question “Are there eggs in bagels?” and discuss when bagel is not vegan.
Are there eggs in bagels?
No, there are no eggs in bagels. Eggs aren’t usually used in bagel dough. The adding of eggs to the dough before baking gives egg bagels their unique moniker! They frequently contain a little amount of sugar as well as fading colouring. Egg bagels are a comparatively recent invention: during the bulk of its century-long existence, the bagel was just a boiled and baked mixture of flour, water, yeast, and salt.
Bagels were initially cooked as a street meal by Eastern and Central Europeans, and relatively expensive components like egg and sugar were not used. The egg bagel flavour was created in the United States in response to consumer desire for a less crusty, softer baked product, and it has since become a classic. The added colour that eggs give to bagels is also appreciated! In many recipes, eggs are used as a leavening agent, which means they are used to make the final product rise higher.
How are bagels produced?
When you add an egg to a yeast dough, a couple additional things happen:
First, the moisture in the dough is increased by the water in the eggs.
Second, eggs have an emulsifying action, which binds the ingredients together to form a smooth dough.
Third, eggs provide fat to the bread, which breaks the connections between gluten proteins (the chewy portion!), making it more fluffy and less tough.
Fourth, eggs provide protein to the mix, and when those proteins are baked into the bread, they make the loaf much softer.
The Maillard process, which allows bread crust to change colour based on a mix of sugar, protein, water, and heat, is responsible for the enhanced colour.
Traditional bagel dough consists of wheat flour, water, yeast, and salt leavening at its most basic level. Most bagel recipes ask for a sweetener, such as barley malt, honey, high fructose corn syrup, or sugar, to be added to the dough, along with or without eggs, milk, or butter.
Bagels are produced using flour, water, yeast, sugar, salt, and occasionally vegetable shortening and are vegan. Some do, however, include non-vegan components including eggs, milk, honey, or L-cysteine. The inclusion of eggs to egg bagels gives them their golden hue and chewy, airy feel. I began by substituting egg yolks for a portion of the water in my standard bagel recipe, gradually increasing the number of yolks with each batch. I wanted to use as few egg yolks as possible while still making an egg bagel that was definitely an egg bagel.
When bagel is not Vegan
Egg Wash
Those bagels may have had a little egg wash. After boiling the bagels, before adding the toppings, and before baking, some bakers like to use an egg wash. It’s completely needless, yet it does happen. Some bakers believe that an egg wash helps the toppings stay better, but I’ve had good luck getting my toppings to stick on still-wet, just-boiled bagels without it. Use a JUST Egg product or even a wet flax egg as another vegan-friendly egg wash alternative!
MILK + EGG PRODUCTS BOUGHT IN THE STORE
Milk and/or eggs are found in certain store-bought bagels. I’m not sure why, because they’re completely unneeded, but the simple solution is to 1) read labels and 2) make your own bagels! There are also ‘egg bagels’ on the market, which have a yellowish tint. Again, it’s not necessary for a fantastic bagel.
ADD-ONS / TOPPINGS FOR NON-VEGAN BAGELS
Cheddar jalapeno is one of my favorite pre-vegan bagel tastes! Although gooey cheese is delicious in bagel dough, handmade bagels may simply be veganized these days! I believe I will soon need to add vegan cheddar jalapeno bagels to my recipe collection. I’ll probably use cheddar cheese shreds from Violife, So Delicious, or Daiya. Easy! Some bagels may include non-vegan meat components, which is uncommon but does happen. Bacon or sausage pieces rolled into the dough come to mind. Again, these are quite unusual, and the name of those bagels will almost certainly give them away.
BAGEL SANDWICHES
You get number four as a bonus. schmears with bagel spreads! Cream cheese is commonly seen in bagel shops and is not vegan. This is also a problem at Starbucks. However, there are a couple fantastic vegan cream cheese products available in shops. Kite Hill, which is made from almonds and tastes like a dream, is my absolute favorite. Vegan cream cheese alternatives have lately been added to the menus of bagel shops. However, you’ll most likely have to do some investigation to discover these vegan-friendly cream cheese places. If cream cheese isn’t vegan, your bagel sandwich can always be made with hummus and veggies! Typically, hummus is vegan.
Other FAQs about Bagels that you may be interested in.
How long are bagels good for in the fridge?
How long are bagels good for in the fridge?
How to toast bagels in the oven? (2 ways)
Conclusion
In this article, we will answer the question “Are there eggs in bagels?” and discuss when bagel is not vegan.