Onion bagels epitomize the New York bagel more than any other variety in the city known for its water-bath wonders. Indeed growing up in New York Sunday mornings meant bagels for breakfast, with lox and cream cheese and sometimes white-fish salad or a whole fish of smoked sable. We had the proverbial baker’s dozen, which included plain, sesame seed and onion. Occasionally an egg bagel (with onions) was included in the mix and a few bialies, too.
Union’s basket of onion bagels
The new, much awaited endeavor, Toast Bar from Scratch Baking is, among other attributes, a luxurious use of dining options in our region. I mean, a toast bar? What is it exactly? I pictured rows of toasters lined up on a counter in various stages popping out puffy browned breads.
The Toast Bar carries on the bakery’s high standards to bring some of the best baked styles of bread- making around. Of course, there are their famous flakey-crusted croissant-like lightly sour-dough bagels along with their great breads. If, for instance, you haven’t picked up a baguette from Scratch baking, it’s one of the best baguettes around. And it’s a marvel of bread making. Their starter has a slight zing of sourdough from long fermentation, and added shelf life, exhibiting a crunchy outer crust and intense bread flavor. There are 12 to 13 breads made at the bread shop, the selection of which changes daily.
the Toast Bar for breads and bagels and spreads
The birds are barely chirping and there’s nary a sound anywhere around Willard Square in South Portland this Sunday morning. Absent are the usual flock of early risers who descend on Scratch Baking like busy bees to gobble up some of the most uniquely textured bagels in the Northeast.
Scratch Baking on Willard Square, South Portland
As I walked in to the nearly empty store, the one sole shopper, standing in front of uncharacteristically full bins of bagels, said, “We should have the start of Daylight Savings Time all the time.”
