A bagel is a dense, round yeast bun with a hole in the middle; the dough is shaped into rings and is set aside to rise for a short time. The unique step in making the perfect bagel happens just before baking, when the buns are submerging into boiling water to give the crust its characteristic chewiness.
Bagels are either brushed with egg before baking or sugar is added to the poaching water to make them glossy. The best parts for me are the crunchy nibbly bits on the top — a light sprinkling of poppy, sesame, onion flakes and pretzel pumpernickel.
Sweet versions of bagels are also made containing raisins and cinnamons.
The famed food writer Claudia Roden explains the unique shape of the bagel: “Because of their shape there’s no beginning and no end — bagels symbolise the eternal cycle of life.”
Meet the bagel brothers
Capetonian brothers Adam and Joel Klein started their bagel journey in Sea Point in 2014, then moved to bigger premises across the road in Regent Street in the Mother City, where they are today. Recently they’ve brought the much-loved brand to suburban Birdhaven in Joburg, with plans to add more branches in Gauteng.
What is your obsession about a roll with a hole in the centre?
It started on our trips to New York and Canada, both synonymous with bagel culture. There’s this universal love for them that’s stood the test of time. We like to honour that by making ours the same way they’ve been made for generations.
Define a bagel.
Definitely not a roll with a hole. Real bagels are boiled before they’re baked, which gives them their unique chewy characteristic. A good one should have a crispy, shiny exterior, with a chewy, dense but soft interior. Once cooled, I feel they’re always best toasted before serving. The perfect vehicle for cream cheese.
The first Kleinsky’s opened in Cape Town almost a decade ago, what inspired your recent opening in JHB?
We’ve always wanted to have a permanent spot in the Mother City, and we felt the same about Joburg. We’ve had a lot of people asking, and it was about finding the right spot, which we found in the community in Birdhaven. The shop just felt right, and here we are, almost a month since we kicked off.
Share the different quirks between the two cities?
Joburgers take their coffee differently — it’s all cappuccinos, whereas Capetonians prefer “flat whites”, an espresso and steamed milk. Egoli people have a much sweeter tooth than Capetonians: we sell out of our cakes and pastries like the rugelach (a decadent baked dough filled with sugar, nuts and dried fruit) much quicker in Joburg.
What do you believe gives your bagels the winning edge?
We don’t skimp on things, on quality, on technique or time, and we try to do as much as we can in-house and by hand as possible.
Gluten-free bagels?
Our gluten-free bagels have a bit of a cult following. It took a lot of trial and error but the finished bagel is really good — even as a diehard gluten fan I eat them pretty regularly.
What are the three top selling bagels?
The Classic Smoked Salmon with cream cheese, red onion and capers. The Schnitzel: crispy free-range chicken schnitzel, Asian slaw, chilli & lime mayo, sweet soy reduction & fresh coriander, and then the Lamb BLT — our signature Kleinsky’s lamb bacon, cos lettuce, tomato and mayo.
And your faves?
The California — smoked salmon, wasabi cream cheese, avocado, pickled ginger and a sweet soy reduction is hard to beat, and the pastrami with pickles and our house blend mustard is my go-to comfort meal.
And if you’ve had a bagel overload, anything else on the menu?
For breakfast — the latke Benedict, crispy potato latkes, poached eggs and hollandaise and wild rocket (have it with salmon or crispy bacon). For lunch — our hot dog. We serve it on a toasted New England style bun. Beef frankfurter, pickles, house mustard and I like to spice it up with our Chipotle ketchup. Our chicken and matzo ball soup is also incredibly popular.
And something sweet?
Never leave without a rugelach; they’re little cream cheese pastries wrapped with either Nutella or Biscoff — they’re buttery, flaky, soft and addictive. Our cinnamon or chocolate babkas are also a hit, and the Russian honey cake is something special ... though we may be a little biased.
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This article was first published in Sunday Times Lifestyle.
