You could spend a month reading about the science of bagels before coming to some understanding of how to properly deploy barley malt syrup and jute.
That’s probably why you’ll find a lot of talented bakers eventually try their hand at making the perfect boiled-then-baked breadstuff. That extends to Providence Pizza’s co-owner Luke Salvatore, who was inspired to do a Saturday morning pop-up, Luca Bagel (lucabagel.com), inside his pizza shop.
Luca bagels are crisp and chewy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, with a wide-open crumb structure. They’re hand-rolled and proofed for two days before being put on cloth-covered bagel boards and slipped into the pizza ovens.
The bagels are available at either the Grandview or Westport location, depending on the week, and are now a third contender in the great debate about the city’s best bagel, which was previously between Meshuggah and Black Hole Bakery. One thing different about Luca: They’ll slice and (gasp) even toast your bagels.
