The bagel's unique chewy texture comes from a specific 'everyday' cooking step: boiling before baking. This practice originated in the Jewish communities of Poland. Boiling the ring of dough for 30–60 seconds gelatinizes the starch on the surface, creating a 'skin' that prevents the bread from rising fully in the oven. This results in a dense, chewy interior and a shiny crust. Bagels were brought to the U.S. by Polish-Jewish immigrants in the late 19th century. In New York, the 'Bagel Bakers Local 338' was a powerful union that controlled the production of bagels for decades, ensuring they were all made by hand until the 1960s when automated machines were introduced.