HOW BEJGL CAME TO BE
Bagels have always been a big part of my life. Growing up in northern California, a bagel with cream cheese was my standard go-to breakfast or lunch (sometimes both). While I’ve always been a baker, for years it was just desserts. I got into bread-making simply because cookies were an inappropriate dinner option.
Bejgl is my way of sharing my love — of simple, honest food that satisfies the heart and body alike.
After calling Prague home for more than 20 years, I wanted to bring fresh, authentic bagels to the city. Bejgl doesn’t stop at just bagels however, we also offer whole grain sandwich loaves from high quality regionally sourced heritage flours. The crushed rye-berry Schwarzbrot or the Swiss high-extraction ultra-fine Ruchmehl bread are just two examples.
And no bakery of mine would be complete without a sprinkling of dessert. We have classic American-style cookies, an assortment of flavor-bursting tea cakes, and exquisitely indulgent pastries like our chocolate babka knots.
BAKED FRESH DAILY
MADE IN PRAGUE
BAKED FRESH DAILY MADE IN PRAGUE
Why Sourdough?
At Bejgl, we use 100% natural leavening — sourdough — in everything we bake: from bagels to brioche, even the babka and cinnamon rolls.
Sourdough doesn’t just add depth of flavor (a subtle tang and a hearty chew), it’s the way bread was originally made for centuries, long before industrial yeast existed. Sourdough provides bread with a lower glycemic index, making it easier to digest. And thanks to slow fermentation, the wild yeast also helps to lengthen shelf life.
We believe sourdough makes bread better: in taste, in texture, and for your body. It takes more time and effort, but it’s worth every step.
What are Bagels?
Bagels are made from a low hydration yeasted wheat dough. They are then shaped into rings and left for a cold, long fermentation to slowly rise and develop. Before baking, bagels are first boiled in a lightly alkaline malt bath, then topped with seeds and finally baked in a steam injected oven. The result is a soft, doughy interior with a browned thin and initially crunchy exterior that then mellows to a shiny chewy crust. Once sliced open and possibly toasted (no judgement, bagel purists), these qualities are only elevated. You can eat bagels as an open sandwich with cream cheese or butter or topped with smoked salmon. Alternatively, you can enjoy them as a hot, closed sandwich with pastrami and melted cheese.
Bagels originally came from the Jewish European tradition. As European immigrants came to America in the late 1800s, the bagel was slowly transformed through experimentation and limited ingredient options. The historic rye was swapped for wheat, the long fermentation arose as a practical solution to limited oven space. By the time the chewy, crunchy, hearty bagel crossed the US and hit the Pacific west coast, it was most often served open faced with a simple cream cheese spread or veggie topping. These are the inspirational bagels of Bejgl, served fresh, simply, and baked daily.
Who is that Monster?
The illustrative Bejgl monster you see dancing around our shop is our mascot, Yeastie Beastie. He is the keeper of the sourdough and the ultimate champion of bagels. Originally a ceramic figurine created by my daughter, he’s now our official illustrated mascot, the ever-present guardian of bagels and everything seasoning.
— BRITT N
"The babka is so delicious and addicting that it has already been used to replace birthday cakes amongst our friend group"
— KAREN