A
bagel (, ), also spelled
beigel, is a
bread product originating in
Poland, traditionally shaped by hand into the form of a ring from
yeasted wheat dough, roughly hand-sized, which is first boiled for a short time in water and then baked. The result is a dense, chewy, doughy interior with a browned and sometimes crisp exterior. Bagels are often topped with seeds baked on the outer crust, with the traditional ones being
poppy,
sunflower or
sesame seeds. Some also may have
salt sprinkled on their surface, and there are also a number of different dough types, such as whole-grain or rye.