Fluffy inside with a crispy crust, and easy to pop in the toaster (if you choose to toast), bagels are a good option for an on-the-go workday breakfast. But did you know that you might not be toasting your bagels correctly?

Bakery-fresh bagels usually don’t need to be toasted, as toasting can ruin their fresh-from-the-oven fluffy inside and crispy outside, but toasting is a great way to restore that oven-fresh crispiness to pre-packaged or frozen bagels. Plus, toasting can help improve the bagel’s flavor, as well as firm it up, creating a sturdier base for your toppings.

To perfectly toast your bagel, you should use the bagel setting on your toaster if it has one, and place the bagel with the sliced sides facing in, against the hot wires. This toasts the inner bagel while warming the outside, and since bagels are thicker than bread slices, remember, they’ll take longer to toast.