About Our Bakery
Being able to produce great food has been a passion of mine since childhood. Family gatherings in New England were always full of honest ingredients and became the foundation of my future culinary interests. Years of experimentation and cooking for increasingly large gatherings of family and friends led to finally creating my own food company. So Welcome!
​
Badger Bagels may be made with non-traditional ingredients, but they are have the same kettle boiled, slightly chewy, crunchy-edged goodness you've been missing!
Our Products
While Gluten Free baking is making progress finding products that are not grainy and dry is still not easy. After substantial research, testing and experimentation with recipes, technique, and ingredients I am confident you will love these bagels.
We use all natural ingredients including olive oil and honey that add a touch of sweetness and depth of flavor. Traditionally bagel are boiled in a malt syrup bath but as we are gluten-free we use molasses instead.
​
All of our bagels are hand made in Maine at our gluten-free commercial kitchen. While not certified as a GF facility we do not have any gluten containing ingredients, or allergens in the kitchen space.
​
Ingredients: White Rice Flour, Water, Tapioca Starch, Brown Rice Flour, Potato Starch, Sorghum Flour, Sweet Rice Flour, Olive Oil, Honey, Psyllium husk, Sunflower lecithin, Salt, Yeast, Xanthan Gum.
Boiling water includes: Molasses and Baking Soda.
​
​
​
What’s in a Name?
While the truth is that my early recipes ‘versions’ were named after our three dogs, the Lupine series-our crazy aussie shepherd, The Chowder Series—the lovable knucklehead mix and the Badger series after our too cute for his own good border collie. While the Lupine series technically won, the Badger Bagel name wormed its way into my brain. Besides we nearly named our oldest son Badger! Badgers also have a fond place in my heart as the mysterious, cunning and clever characters from childhood books—most notably Roald Dahl’s “Fantastic Mr. Fox” whose dapper Badger seemed the most level-headed of the group.
With Name in hand I began working with a good friend Rebecca Blaesing to create our logo. My desire was to have a badger half celebrating his achievement on the podium, and half sly critter ready to run off with his prize. From the outset Rebecca captured exactly the mood and character. As we refined the logo we began experimenting with color but time and again came back to the simple black & white theme so apt for our mascot.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
Why Bagels?
Badger Bagels are an outgrowth of my lifelong passion for cooking. The creation of these bagels took more than a little cunning and creativity to come to fruition. As any cook knows it is not always the ingredients that make the best recipes! Knowing your ingredients and learning how they behave (and fail) in your recipe is the key. After much trial and error the result is a bagel that toasts up crispy crunchy on the outside and remains chewy and moist on the inside. Inspiration came from Asian cultures and techniques so adept using gluten-free ingredients and the many creative gluten-free bakers continually refining their methods and ingredients. As this is a new commercial kitchen venture I really wanted to focus on a single product amongst the myriad options I was also considering (farm-to-table dinners, prepared meals from Maine ingredients…). With continued badger like determination I look forward to seeing these bagels out of the nest!
Thanks for your interest,
All my best,
Chris
​
