LYNN — Most of us know that a manufactured potato chip is scientifically addictive. The perfect combination of crunch to salt to fat content isn’t a happy accident, but a perfectly calculated ratio that uses all of our sensory systems, making it next to impossible to eat just one. What if bagels are also addictive?
Co-founder of One Mighty Mill and baker Tony Rosenfeld believes there is some science behind why everyone loves bagels, and is taking a healthier spin on this beloved classic, baking up some equally delicious, organic, and dare I say addictive bagels right on Exchange Street in Lynn.
A traditional bagel is made from industrial (white) flour, yeast, salt, water and sweetener — typically sugar — or in a New-York-style bagel — barley malt.
One Mighty Mill, located at 68 Exchange St. in Lynn, strays away from the traditional industrialized flour and uses stone-milled, whole-wheat flour and organic ingredients packed with nutrients to flavor its bagels.
“I think traditionally there’s been what’s regarded as what makes a good bagel and I think we’re trying to redefine that,” said Rosenfeld.
The key to One Mighty Mill’s chewy and flavorful bagels is its freshly milled flour, which you can see for yourself just by taking a walk down Exchange Street. Rosenfeld and co-owner Joe Olinto were inspired by how breweries sparked an appreciation for craft beer by allowing customers to view the brewing process while drinking the beer, and wanted customers of One Mighty Mill to have a similar experience by seeing the milling process while eating the products.
“With wheat and flour and carbs and all that, I think we want to demystify that a little bit, so I think the vision was just having a lot of windows in a place where people could see how things get done,” said Rosenfeld.
To understand the health difference between white flour and whole-wheat flour, it’s important to know the three parts of a wheat berry: the bran, the germ, and the endosperm.
The bran and germ pack the most nutrients, similar to an egg yolk. The endosperm could be compared to egg whites — high in volume, but low in nutrients. To produce industrialized flour, the germ and bran are removed during the milling process. This allows for a longer shelf life, but removes most of the nutrients that organic wheat has.
The milling process used by One Mighty Mill holds onto the whole wheat berry (hence the term “whole wheat”) which makes its bagels nutritionally dense and higher in fiber than a traditional bagel. It does however lead to a shorter shelf life, which Rosenfeld sees as a positive.
“If the bacteria in the air is interested in eating what you’re eating, and there’s no such thing as spoilage, that’s kind of scary; what does that mean to your gut?” said Rosenfeld.
Rosenfeld believes that what makes a bagel a bagel is a thick outer crust. This can be achieved either from steaming or boiling, which is also what gives a bagel its chewiness. Because of the high gluten content in its stone-milled flour, One Mighty Mill uses both steam and boiling processes to achieve the right consistency.
“We’ve taken our flour and kind of created a hybrid process to work with the flour to still create a really wonderful bagel,” he said.
The bagel originated in Poland in 1610, and at the time was believed to have magical powers due to its circular shape. They were even given to women after childbirth as a symbol of good luck. Now, the only magical powers I see bagels having are curing my hangover on a Sunday morning or being the perfect vessel for a cheesy bacon, egg and cheese sandwich.
So why is it that we crave bagels, and not say a piece of crispy toast with butter to the same extent?
Rosenfeld mentioned the book “Hooked: Food, Freewill, and How the Food Giants Exploit Our Addictions,” written by Michael Moss. In the book, Moss discussed how food conglomerates know what qualities we are drawn to that quite literally make foods addicting — salt, sugar, and fat content, to name a few.
“You want my theory?” said Rosenfeld, “He (Moss) gets kind of into the brain sensory of what attracts us, and my belief is that the chewiness of a bagel is kind of similar to the sweetness (quality). I really believe endorphins get released and so when you’re eating this chewy, intensely-flavored bagel, as opposed to a soft piece of bread or something, there’s something more chemical.”
Whether it released feel-good endorphins in my brain or not, One Mighty Mill’s maple pumpkin bagel with cream cheese was one of the best bagels I’ve ever had.
Other bagel flavors the store currently carries at its Lynn location are onion, lemon spinach, sesame, double chile and cheddar, plain, everything, and a seasonal flavor: Taza chocolate.
Not only can you find their bagels at the storefront, but One Mighty Mill has taken to the supermarket shelves all along the east coast and can be found in local Market Basket’s, Whole Foods’, and Stop & Shop’s. Along with bagels, One Mighty Mill produces tortillas, sliced bread, flour, pancake and brownie mixes, all made using organic ingredients and of course, freshly-milled, whole-wheat flour.
“The concept of bagel as cheat day to me is silly,” said Rosenfeld. “Especially when you look at our flour, and you see all these specs and whatnot, that’s bran, and that’s germ. You were intended to get that nutrition. It wasn’t meant to be pulled out. When the nutrition is there you don’t have to binge one day and then not eat them (bagels) for two months.”
