Hand-Rolled, Kettle-Boiled Bagels in Brooklyn
Proper Brooklyn bagels rolled by hand and boiled in the kettle before dawn — with house-made schmears, lox & appetizing, and coffee that means business.
What's on the Board
The everyday lineup — hand-rolled bagels, house schmears, and everything you'd build on top of them.
Boiled, Not Steamed. Ever.
Schmear & Co started ten years ago with one non-negotiable: a real bagel gets rolled by hand and boiled in a kettle, full stop. No steaming, no shortcuts, no puffy imposters. That chew and that crackly, blistered crust only come one way, and we do it the hard way every single morning.
We mix and shape our dough by hand, cold-ferment it overnight for flavor, and boil each batch before it hits the oven. Our schmears are whipped fresh daily and our lox is hand-sliced to order. It's a lot of pre-dawn work for a humble round of bread — but a New Yorker knows the difference in one bite.
- ✓Hand-rolled, kettle-boiled — always
- ✓Dough cold-fermented overnight
- ✓Schmears whipped fresh daily
- ✓Lox hand-sliced to order
The Boil Is the Whole Point
Anyone can bake a bread ring. A real bagel is a specific, stubborn process — and we don't skip a step.
Kettle-Boiled, Never Steamed
The boil is what gives a bagel its chew and its shiny, crackly crust. Steaming is faster and easier. We boil. Always.
Rolled by Hand
Every bagel is hand-rolled, not extruded by a machine — which is why ours have that dense, chewy, uneven-in-the-best-way bite.
Cold-Fermented Overnight
Our dough rests cold for a full day before baking, developing the deep, tangy flavor a rushed bagel never gets close to.
Schmears Made In-House
We whip our cream cheese schmears fresh every day, in flavors you'll plan your week around. No tubs, no fillers.
Appetizing Done Right
Hand-sliced lox and a proper appetizing counter, treated with the respect New York's best delis have for a hundred years.
A Brooklyn Institution
Ten years, a thousand bagels a day, and a line out the door on Saturdays. We earned every inch of that line.
Reasons the Line Is Worth It
Do not view on an empty stomach. We warned you.
One Bagel, Start to Finish
The unglamorous, pre-dawn truth of how a proper bagel actually happens.
01Mix & Cold-Ferment
We mix a stiff dough and rest it cold overnight — the slow ferment that builds the flavor and the chew.
02Hand-Roll Every One
Each bagel is rolled and shaped by hand at dawn — slower than a machine, and worlds better for it.
03Boil, Then Bake
Into the kettle for the boil, then straight to the oven — the two steps that make a bagel a bagel.
Feed the Whole Office
A spread of warm bagels, a lineup of house schmears, and a proper appetizing board is the fastest way to win a Monday meeting or a weekend gathering. We cater bagel breakfasts, schmear platters, and lox boards for offices and events across Brooklyn and beyond.
Everything is rolled, boiled, and baked that morning — never the day before — and packed up ready to travel. Tell us the headcount and the vibe, and we'll build a spread that has people talking (and reaching for seconds). Delivery or easy pickup, whatever's simpler for you.
- ✓Bagel breakfasts & schmear platters
- ✓Full lox & appetizing boards
- ✓Rolled & baked that morning
- ✓Delivery or easy pickup
Order a Spread in Four Steps
Catering a crowd is easy and always fresh. Here's the drill.
Send the Order
Tell us your date, headcount, and any must-haves. A day's notice covers most spreads; more for big appetizing boards.
We Build the Board
We'll suggest a mix of bagels, schmears, and appetizing that fits your crowd, and send a simple quote to approve.
Rolled That Morning
Everything is hand-rolled, boiled, and baked the morning of — packed warm and ready to travel.
Pickup or Delivery
Grab it in the shop or we'll deliver across Brooklyn — set up and ready to make you the hero of the room.
New York Doesn't Mess Around
Schmear & Co makes the only bagel in Brooklyn I'll wait in line for. That kettle-boiled chew, the crackly crust, still warm — it's the real thing. The scallion schmear is a religious experience. I've converted at least a dozen friends. This is the standard.
The lox on an everything with dill schmear is the best breakfast in New York, and I will fight anyone who disagrees. Generous, fresh, hand-sliced, and put together by people who obviously care. Saturday mornings have a mandatory stop here now.
We cater our team breakfasts from here every month — a huge spread of bagels, schmears, and appetizing, and it's always flawless. Warm, on time, and everyone fights over the last everything bagel. Makes me look like a hero at the office.
I moved away from New York for three years and this is the place I dreamed about. First stop off the plane, every time. The bagels are exactly as good as I remembered, which honestly almost made me cry. Home tastes like a Schmear & Co everything.
Your Everything Bagel Is Waiting
Beat the line and order ahead, or come get one hot off the board with a strong coffee. Either way, you're in for the real thing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I order ahead to skip the line?
Please do — especially on weekends when the line gets serious. Call or use our order-ahead and we'll have your bagels, schmears, and sandwiches bagged and ready for a quick grab. Bulk and catering orders should give us a day's notice so everything's fresh.
Are your bagels really kettle-boiled?
Every single one, every single day — no steaming, ever. The boil is what gives a real bagel its chew and that shiny, crackly crust, so we'd never skip it. It's more work, it's the whole point, and you can taste it in the first bite.
Do you do catering and big orders?
We love a big spread. Bagel breakfasts, schmear platters, and full lox and appetizing boards for offices and events — all rolled, boiled, and baked that morning. Send your date and headcount and we'll build something the room will remember.
What time do you sell out of the good stuff?
We bake all morning, so there's usually something fresh — but the everything bagels and daily specials can go by mid-morning on a busy day. Earlier is better, and ordering ahead guarantees you get exactly what you came for.
Do you have vegan or gluten-free options?
We keep vegan schmears and can build plenty of dairy-free orders, though our bagels themselves aren't gluten-free — and as a flour-heavy shop we can't promise a gluten-free environment. Ask at the counter and we'll steer you to something great.
Where are you, and how's parking?
We're on Bedford Ave in Williamsburg, a short walk from the L train, with metered street parking around. Honestly, take the train — and follow the smell of fresh bagels the last block. We'll be glad to see you.
Let's Talk Bagels
Ordering ahead, catering a crowd, or just want a dozen set aside? Tell us what you need and we'll get right back to you — usually the same day.