When was the last time you had a fresh, warm bagel? For me, I would have to say it's before I went gluten free almost 14 years ago. As a native New Yorker, I was raised on the best bagels in the universe, so a good bagel is definitely something I miss the most!
I stopped into The Baked Bagel Cafe in North Andover, MA a few weeks ago to grab a few bagels for my non GF son. Its a newer shop in downtown North Andover and I got to talking with co-owner, Tim Curran. He shared that he was working on perfecting a "Gluten Friendly" bagel, and of course, he had my attention!
Tim got his start at GF fave, Burtons and then helped started 110 Grill, so he knows his stuff when it comes to allergy protocol and safety from cross contamination (trust me, I grilled him! ). He was the first manager hired for 110 Grill and helped open 20 locations before venturing out with his partner to open The Baked Bagel Cafe.
My first questions were about ingredients followed by preparation and serving safety. Here's what I learned:
Dough is made from King Arthur GF flour and xanthan gum
GF dough is prepped first thing in the AM, before the regular bagels, and in a clean, separate space in the kitchen
GF dough is mixed and formed by hand in a separate area, and never touches the mixer
GF Bagles are boiled in a designated pot
GF Bagels are baked on a baking sheet covered in fresh parchment paper
There is a separate, designated GF toaster oven, cutting space and designated knives that are marked for Gluten Free slicing
Gluten free bagels are stored on the highest shelf, above all of the other bagels to avoid crumbs spilling into the bin
If you are getting cream cheese or butter, be sure to ask for a clean knife and tub, just like you would for ice cream!
While every precaution is being taken to keep these bagels safe from cross contamination, it is important to note that they are made in the same kitchen as the regular, wheat based bagels, so use your judgement if you are Celiac or very sensitive to cross contamination.
I got to try a GF bagel while it was still hot and OMG, it was SO good! Soft, perfectly chewy, mild flavor and delicious. When I had a second one the next day, it was a little tricky to slice and broke into a few pieces, but it toasted up perfectly and still tasted great! I would take this over a store bought, packaged GF bagel hands down.
Check out these small-batch, Gluten Friendly bagels for yourself and tell them GFSavvyMama sent you!
133 Main St, North Andover, MA 01845