“Water bagels” are what most people mean when they talk about a true New York–style bagel: the bagel is briefly boiled in water before it’s baked. That quick boil is the magic step. It gelatinizes the starches on the surface of the dough, creating that distinctive thin, shiny, lightly blistered crust—the one that gives you the classic snap when you bite in.

That boiled “skin” also makes the inside better. By setting the exterior first, the bagel doesn’t puff up like regular bread in the oven; instead it stays dense, chewy, and satisfyingly structured—the texture people are chasing when they say a bagel should have real chew. Bakers often add things like barley malt syrup (and sometimes other tweaks) to the boiling water to help with flavor and browning, which is why water-boiled bagels tend to taste richer and look more beautifully bronzed than bagels that are simply baked (or industrially steamed).

And that’s exactly why this style stands out: it’s a more traditional, hands-on method that prioritizes texture and character over speed. Bagel Land has been doing it the right way for decades—family owned since 1973—and if you ask around, plenty of locals will tell you it’s simply the best bagel in Rochester, NY.