New York lawmakers have passed legislation banning bromate. I know, shocking, right? This is not a ban that affects neighborhood bros, homeboys and mates. No, it’s worse. It is a ban on potassium bromate, an iconic dough conditioner long used in approximately 80% of the state’s pizza and bagel shops.
Potassium bromate has historically acted as an oxidizing agent. It strengthens gluten, speeds up fermentation and creates a highly stable dough that produces a tall, springy and crispy product. It is critical to the taste and texture of these New York icons. I myself always ask for extra gluten anyway.
The reason for this abomination? Potassium bromate is a suspected carcinogen linked to kidney and reproductive damage in lab animals. Yeah, but are we mice or are we men? The additive is already banned across the European Union, China, India, Canada and California, where prohibition takes effect next year. Yeah, but when have we ever wanted to be more like any of them? New York pizza and bagels are the best. Thou shalt not tamper with them! (King James Bible: Book of James 1:16.) I made that up.
Under the legislation, bakeries and other affected businesses would be allowed a full year to comply, with additional time to exhaust any remaining stock of bromated flour already purchased. I foresee black-market bagels and pizza slices in the future. Hey, we already tried Prohibition and it didn’t work.
This legislation has divided bakeries and pizzerias across the state. Jesse Spellman, the second-generation owner of Utopia Bagels, said the transition would be neither easy nor cheap. “You could achieve that same bagel texture, but it’s a lot more work and a lot more expensive,” he told The Associated Press. This could have a greater effect on mom-and-pop shops than AI. To be fair, others see the potential for improved food quality and health outcomes. C’mon, man. Who eats pizza and bagels to be healthy?!
According to pizza historian Scott Wiener, a General Mills product called All Trumps (I’m not making this up) is a premium, high-gluten spring wheat flour widely considered the industry standard for New York-style pizza crusts, bagels and hard rolls. This bromated flour dates back to the earliest grab-and-go pizza counters in New York City, roughly a century ago. Milled by General Mills, it features an impressive 14.2% protein content that creates exceptionally strong, chewy dough. It also has superior water absorption, resulting in a dough that retains moisture. The addition of malted barley flour helps the dough ferment beautifully and develop a desirable sweet, golden-brown crust (like a real tan). Hydrating wheat flour high in protein should be in today anyway. All Trumps flour remains the choice. He described the bill as potentially transformative for the city’s food identity.
The other critical ingredient in a good bagel is New York City water, which comes from upstate reservoirs in the Hudson River watershed. Those of you not in the know might assume New York City water is not clean. Quite the contrary. It is not only clean but superb in taste. That, along with altitude, is the reason you can’t get a really good bagel in Durango (sorry, bagel makers). Some shops in Colorado even have Hudson River water shipped to them.
Our Constitution is under attack, and our democracy imperiled. With all due respect to our founding Dads, this is the threat we must address first.
All hope is not yet lost. Gov. Kathy Hochul’s signature is still needed. Perhaps a massive letter-writing campaign can still save the day.
The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of New York State
NYS State Capitol Building
Albany, NY 12224
Phone: (518) 474-8390
Let your taste buds be your guide.
Jim Cross is a retired Fort Lewis College professor and basketball coach living in Durango. Reach him at [email protected].