Quest for perfect bagels led a Philipsburg man to make his own. Here’s how to try them

Daniel Hesil recently moved from Maine to Philipsburg and, as he and his family settled down, he decided it was the perfect time to launch a business that had been brewing for several years. Now, you can find Brown Owl Bagelry at Centre Markets, where Hesil sells up to 150 bagels each weekend.

“For a couple of years, I developed my bagel recipe,” Hesil said. “I had moved to a number of different places and it was really hard to find a good bagel. After doing some research and a lot of recipes, I started my own and spent a few years developing it.”

Brown Owl Bagelry offers a variety of fresh, New York-style bagels, made with organic ingredients whenever possible, from pumpernickel to plain, cinnamon currant to blueberry, depending on the week. For now, Hesil says he’s just focusing on bagels, versus expanding his business further, as the bagels alone require a time-consuming process that stretches over three days.

“On Thursday night, I make the starter, which is called the poolish, and that rests for about eight hours — at least eight hours,” Hesil explained. “Then, Friday morning, I start the bagels. By that, I mean I have the poolish and I add water to it and active yeast, to get the yeast started bubbling. Then, I add flour, the malt syrup and salt. I mix that with my mixer and roll the bagels out by hand ... I refrigerate them in large proofing boxes for about 24 hours. Then, Saturday morning, I roll the bagels and boil them and bake them.”

Hesil says using malt syrup in his bagels — as opposed to the typical malt powder — is just one thing that sets Brown Owl Bagelry’s bagels apart.

“I think (the syrup) has a stronger flavor. It’s a little more expensive, but I think it gives a little bit of punch to the bagel. Also, I think, the poolish, which is a really short-term starter, gives a nicer flavor to the bagels and makes them a little more puffy, and (the bagels) ferment longer,” he said. These three elements — the malt syrup, poolish starter and time period during which the bagels sit, rest and rise — result in the bagels’ distinct, fuller flavor.

So far, Hesil says the best-seller among the various types of bagels he offers is clearly the Everything Bagel, with its iconic, cult-favorite topping. His personal favorite, though, is the pumpernickel.

“I like the caraway seeds and I make them pretty strong because I like that flavor, a nice, strong rye flavor,” he said. “I’ll have the pumpernickel with a layer of cream cheese and layer of smoked salmon, red onions and capers, and it’s delicious. It’s a great way to have a bagel.”

In addition to selling through Centre Markets — the online farmers market with pick-up and delivery options — Brown Owl Bagelry takes special orders for businesses or groups. Hesil is also open to new bagel ideas. Currently, the bakery operates out of a shared space in Philipsburg, but, once the business grows, Hesil can imagine expanding into a larger space and offering other items, such as sourdough or scones.

“My personal preference,” he said, “would be to open a little shop with bagels and coffee and a couple different sandwich options.”

For now, though, he’s just enjoying the process, which he says is far different from his day job at Trader Joe’s, as well as his role as father to a newborn.

“It’s very cathartic, rolling out a very long roll of dough and making bagels in the morning, just being by yourself,” he said. “Generally, it’s very meditative — except when I have to rush at times. But, usually in my other parts of my life, I’m either taking care of the baby or working with customers, so it’s my alone time for the day, which is very enjoyable.”

Learn more about Brown Owl Bagelry by following the business’s Facebook page, at www.facebook.com/BrownOwlBagelry.