This bagel variety came to Montreal with the wave of Eastern European Jewish immigrants during the early 1900s. There are varying theories about the creator of the first Montreal-style bagel – some claim it was a baker named Isadore Schlafman, while others say it was Hyman Seligman from Dvinsk, who sold them from a horse-drawn carriage.

Before baking, these bagels are boiled in kettles of honey water. Unlike New York-style bagels, these contain no salt and are less dense, with a slightly sweeter flavor. They are rolled and cut by hand and have a large hole in the center. Because Montreal bagels are wood-fired, it results in a crispy exterior and a chewy interior of the dough.