Just some questions you
might have . . .
Is TOBs licensed?
HUGE question! And YES absolutely. We are currently operating under a California Cottage Food License (PT0003722) issued by the County of Tehama Department of Environmental Health. Soon we hope to be receiving our Retail Food License whereby a broader range of foods can be offered.
How can I pay?
If you ordered your bagels through The Otter Text Line (OTL), IG, or messenger pigeon 😂 you have a number of ways to pay. Cash is always welcomed. You can also pay through Venmo https://account.venmo.com/u/TwoOttersBagels or via Apple Pay at the point-of-sale and Zelle.
We will also accept gold 💰bouillon if you really need to have bagels . . . 😁!
What if I can’t get my bagels at the agreed upon time?
No biggie! We get it. Life happens. IF you know that you won’t be able to pick up your bagels at the agreed upon time PLEASE notify us either via The Otter Text Line or DM via IG or email. We’ll work something out so you can get your bagels. BUT if your bagels are abandoned by the end of the day they will be disposed of.
Are your bagels REALLY cold proofed for 48-hours?
YES!! And sometimes even MORE than that. This is the reason the deadline for getting an order in is on Sunday and Wednesday evenings.
Why do these taste unlike any other bagel I’ve ever had ?
GREAT question! TOB bagels taste different because they’re ACTUAL bagels! They’re exactly what a bagel is supposed to be. Unfortunately in a world that is bullied by efficiency and production lines many of the most important techniques that have made bagels ‘bagels’ have been circumvented. What’s been left is a product presented to the public that’s a Frankenbagel . . . a faux bagel or “faux-gel”. In effect what many in the north valley area have been given is nothing more than a glorified round roll with a hole .
Traditional bagels that follow the time-tested traditions of the bagelries of the East Coast and particularly New York City are hand rolled, cold proofed (matured), malt barley syrup water BOILED (not steamed first), and hot steam baked. Bypass any of these steps and essential characteristics of what makes a bagel a ‘bagel’ - like that amazing crispy exterior surrounding a baking paradox of dense-yet-pillowy interior - get lost. And the result is a crummy crumby round-roll-with-a-hole. Ain’t nobody got time for that! That’s why TOBs are here!!
Are bagels only sold as a 6-pack bag ?
Yes. Due to our limited size as a cottage kitchen operation we simply do not possess the capacity - at this time - to facilitate meeting single-piece orders. There are plans in the future to be able to meet this need though!
Can I buy a mixed bag of bagels?
No and yes ! For the most part we are unable to facilitate meeting the demand for a customer-based mixed bag of bagels. HOWEVER - it is not uncommon that on bake days (Wed / Sat) we often will have an array of bagels left over that we will arrange into a mixed bag. If interested - just ask!
How 🧐 do I get my bagels ?
Great question!! As for the time being pick-up of bagels is being coordinated through either The Otter Text line, direct coordination with Mama Otter via IG or via email. SOON we will be having a coordinated pop-up pick up tent on set days with set hours (click link in the menu on the Home page under “Future Pop-Up”).
🤔Where are you located ?!
For the moment TOBs operates under a cottage kitchen license (see above) which means - alas - these amazing bagels - for now- are created in a residential kitchen. Plans are in motion to provide a “pop-up” tent location on set days and times to provide a more established presence to ease pick-ups and availability of bagels. We understand coordinating pick-up times isn’t ideal but we are working diligently to provide a more established place of retrieval!
Can these bagels be frozen ?
Yes !! Ideally, of course, bagels should always be eaten essentially from oven-to-mouth but we know that’s just not possible. These bagels in particular because they are Real. Amazing. Bagels either need to be devoured the day they were perfected OR put into the freezer to optimize freshness. It is possible that they can be placed inside an airtight baggie for 1-2 days and simply reheated via an air fryer or toaster. EITHER method helps to bring the bagel back to life almost like it was new!
Wait !! Bagels are boiled ???
Yes !! . . . but that’s not the entire story. Bagels are FIRST BOILED (essential step!) then they’re steamed baked in a high temperature oven. There are some folks who have foisted upon an unsuspecting public the idea you can replace the boiling step with steam and baking concurrently and the result is the same.
Spoiler Alert: It’s not the same.
Water boiling bagels initiates a very important process called ‘gelatinization’. No this isn’t what happens to us middle-age guys after sitting on the couch watching football all day! Gelatinization is an amazing process of transformation that occurs when the mercurial things called ‘starches’ found in flour interact with a high temperature liquid particularly boiling water. Though liquid water and steam water are both physically water they are literally entirely different cooking techniques akin to baking versus barbecuing. Yes they both use heat but in wildly different ways resulting in wildly different and delicious foods. The difference between boiling and steaming a bagel is like the difference between taking I-5 to Sacramento versus an inner tube down the Sacramento River to Sacramento. Yes they both transport you but in very different ways! The same can be said for using boiling water versus just steam.
Do you have a shop?
No. The cost to run a “brick-&-mortar” bagel shop is a lot of money especially for a start-up “bagelrie”. We want to save the start-up costs so a superior product can consistently be provided at really affordable prices! We know this creates a bit of inconvenience at the moment but we believe our product is genuinely worth it! It also means that in the future there could very well be a TOBs coming near to you!