NYC Bagel Traditions Explained: From Boiling to Hand-Rolling
New York City is a place where food traditions are preserved with remarkable care, and few foods are more deeply woven into the city’s identity than the classic New York bagel. From its dense chew and glossy crust to its unmistakable aroma when freshly baked, the NYC bagel represents a craft rooted in patience, technique, and generations of skilled bakers. While many modern shops now rely on machinery to produce uniform, mass-scaled bagels, there are still places in Manhattan - including Tompkins Square Bagels - where hand-rolling and kettle-boiling remain essential parts of the process. These traditions define what a real New York bagel should be.
New York bagels have long been connected to methods brought to the city by Eastern European immigrants, who introduced the practice of hand-shaping dough, boiling it, and baking it until it reached the signature chew that locals now consider non-negotiable. Over time, as demand grew, some shops shifted to automated production, replacing hand-rolling with machinery and boiling with steaming. But the true heart of New York’s bagel story has always belonged to the bakers who continue to shape each bagel with their own hands - bakers like Celestino García, one of the final masters of the disappearing art of hand-rolling in NYC.
García’s story was captured in striking detail in The New York Times article “15 Hours on the Job With a Bagel Roller.” The piece follows him across a marathon workday that begins before dawn and spans different shops. His work and story illuminate not just the difficulty of the craft, but the people behind it - the often invisible labor that gives New York its defining foods.
Inside the Life of a NYC Bagel Roller
One of the most memorable details from the New York Times (NYT) feature appears right at the beginning, when reporter Sarah Bahr describes García’s morning routine:
“It’s dark. It’s 39 degrees outside. And it’s 2:40 a.m.”
From there, García begins a commute that takes him from a bus stop in Sheepshead Bay to the subway, and eventually to his first shop of the day. NYT writes that he arrives wearing “a black puffer jacket, jeans, gray Skechers and a black North Face backpack.” This is how one of New York’s last hand-rollers starts each morning - quietly, efficiently, and long before most of the city wakes.
The article describes the moment the NYT team arrives at 5:45 a.m. to find García already deep into the day’s production. He has already rolled hundreds of bagels, and soon prepares to travel to his next shop - Tompkins Square Bagels. As he works, reporter Priya Krishna watches his speed and writes one of the most quoted lines of the entire piece:
“Ms. Krishna timed him at 17 bagels per minute, or about 3.5 seconds per bagel.”
Seventeen bagels a minute. A bagel every three and a half seconds. This level of precision and speed is astonishing, even within the professional baking world. Throughout the article, Krishna comments on his energy and stamina, noting that he moves through the day like “the Energizer Bunny.”
The NYT also notes that during just one part of his shift, García rolled 1,700 bagels in four hours, using nine 50-pound bags of flour to get there. After finishing this enormous task early, he walked six blocks to the next location - another Tompkins Square Bagels shop - where he immediately began mixing dough for specialty flavors, including the bright yellow French toast bagels that have become a fan favorite at our stores.
Despite this grueling workload, the NYT emphasizes that García’s attitude remains upbeat and positive throughout the day. At one point, as he arrives at another shop with cinnamon in the air, he cheerfully remarks, “New location, new energy.”
This is the unseen labor behind true New York bagels: the dedication, consistency, and pride of people like García, whose 15-hour days fuel the city’s most beloved morning ritual.
Why Hand-Rolling Matters
Hand-rolling is the foundation of a traditional New York bagel. Though machines can shape dough into uniform rings, they can’t replicate the precise tension, texture, or structure created by human hands. A hand-rolled bagel has a subtly irregular shape, a firmer exterior, and a more complex interior crumb. When you slice it, you’ll see naturally formed air pockets rather than the uniform structure of machine-made dough.
This difference is part of what makes hand-rolled bagels perfect for thick cream cheese, hearty spreads, and smoked fish. They hold up. They don’t collapse. They have integrity.
García’s technique, captured on video by the NYT, shows the physical intelligence of hand-rolling. His fingers stretch and seal the dough with quick, deliberate movements. His wrists flick the dough into perfect circles in one fluid motion. There is speed, but also artistry - the kind of mastery that comes only from decades of doing the same task thousands upon thousands of times.
At Tompkins Square Bagels, this hand-work remains central to our identity. Our bakers don’t rely on shortcuts or machinery to shape the dough because the hand-rolling tradition produces a better bagel - one with texture, structure, and character.
The Essential Step: Kettle-Boiling
If hand-rolling gives a bagel its soul, kettle-boiling gives it its signature New York crust.
When dough is immersed in boiling water, its exterior starches gelatinize instantly. This creates the firm, glossy crust that distinguishes New York bagels from softer, bread-like versions found elsewhere. Boiling also locks in moisture, ensuring the interior remains dense yet tender.
Many high-volume shops skip this step and instead steam their bagels, which dramatically changes the texture. Without boiling, a bagel becomes fluffier and softer - more like a roll with a hole than a proper bagel.
At Tompkins Square Bagels, we continue to kettle-boil every bagel. This step requires time, equipment, and hands-on labor, but it is non-negotiable. The difference is clear from the very first bite.
Baking: Where Texture Meets Flavor
After boiling, the bagels move into high-heat ovens where they transform into their final form. The crust becomes golden and crisp, while the interior becomes chewy and aromatic. The baking stage also brings toppings to life - everything seasoning toasts, sesame seeds release their oils, and onion flakes caramelize slightly in the heat.
Tompkins Square Bagels bakes continuously throughout the day to ensure freshness for morning commuters, brunch crowds, and late-afternoon regulars. Because our bagels are constantly being rolled, boiled, and baked, customers can count on hot, fresh bagels every time they walk in.
The People Who Preserve NYC Bagel Culture
The New York Times piece underscores something often overlooked: New York’s best food exists because of workers whose skill and endurance rarely receive recognition. In García’s case, a typical day begins before 3 a.m. and lasts fifteen hours. He works in basements, kitchens, and narrow prep rooms. He moves quickly, rarely rests, and maintains a pace most people could not imagine sustaining.
Yet, as the NYT notes, García does not describe his job as difficult. The article quotes Krishna saying, “One thing about every person we follow for ‘On the Job’ is that they do an incredibly difficult job. And they believe their job is not difficult.” This humility is part of what defines the city’s food culture.
At Tompkins Square Bagels, we deeply value this labor and the craftspeople who keep these traditions alive. Without skilled rollers like García, the authentic NYC bagel would fade into history.
Why These Traditions Matter
In a city built on innovation and speed, the survival of hand-rolled and kettle-boiled bagels is a reminder that not everything should be rushed. Some traditions endure because they create something better. Customers taste the difference immediately - the chew, the crust, the density, the aroma - all of it reflects a craft protected by the people who practice it.
Bagels are more than breakfast. They are part of New York’s cultural DNA. Every hand-rolled bagel at Tompkins Square Bagels represents a commitment to the past, a contribution to the present, and a promise to the future of New York food.
Carrying the Tradition Forward at Tompkins Square Bagels
At our shops, we remain dedicated to the traditional methods that define real New York bagels. From hand-rolling to kettle-boiling to baking throughout the day, we honor the work of artisans like García, whose craft has shaped the city’s mornings for decades.
When you bite into one of our bagels, you’re tasting more than dough. You’re tasting a living tradition - one kept alive by early alarms, skilled hands, and the enduring belief that some things should never change.