A Del Ray Family's Baking Revolution: Bagel Uprising

PHOTOS: Some of the bagel creations baked by Del Ray resident Chad Breckinridge and sold at the Four Mile Run market on Sundays.

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There was an uproar last year when Capital Bagel Bakery closed at Bradlee Shopping Center in Alexandria, with about 2,500 people signing a petition to try to keep the store open. But the bakery closed after a disagreement with the shopping center owner.

If you are still looking for that perfect bagel, you might try one from Bagel Uprising, available at Arlandria’s Four Mile Run market. The market is open Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 4109 Mt. Vernon Ave.

Patch recently got the chance to talk to Bagel Uprising owner Chad Breckinridge, about his bagel baking.

• Patch: What got you interested in making bagels? Chad: “I lived in bagel paradise (New York City) for about 10 years before moving to Del Ray in 1999. The local bagels here were acceptable, especially while the bagel shop at the Bradlee Center was still open, but still nothing like the real thing. I began tinkering with recipes about 10 years ago and, over time, have settled on one that really works for me. I make the dough in advance, stop the yeast’s rise by putting it in the fridge overnight, and then boil and bake them early in the morning before the market.”
• Patch: When did you start selling them? Chad: Just a few weeks ago. Bagel Uprising launched at the Four Mile Run market on Sept. 6.
• Patch: Do you have a license to bake at home and sell them? Chad: Yes. The Alexandria Health Department has approved me to sell at farmers markets.
• Patch: How many bagels do you make each week? Chad: About 350. It’s tough to make more than that from home.
• Patch: What kind do you make? Chad: Just the classics: Sesame, poppy, salt, plain, and everything. Blueberry, french toast, or asiago swirls? No way.
• Patch: How much time does it take to make them? Chad: A lot, but it’s (mostly) fun. I spend several hours – 5 or 6 – preparing the dough in advance. Then I wake up at 4 a.m. on Sunday mornings to boil and bake before the market. So, in all, probably nine hours of prep each week.
• Patch: What’s your most popular bagel? How many of those do you sell each week? Chad: The “Everything Bagel” is definitely the top seller. I made about 100 of them last Sunday, and they were still the first to sell out. (The Everythings were sold out by about 10:30, and the rest by about 11 a.m.)
• Patch: Do you also sell cream cheese, to go with the bagels? Chad: My health department approval letter does not allow me to sell cream cheese, but it does let me give it away. I have a big tub of cream cheese in a cooler, and anyone who buys a bagel can help themselves.
• Patch: Where all do you sell your bagels? Chad: So far, just at the Four Mile Run market. I’m starting to think about what to do when the market closes for the season just before Thanksgiving. Maybe weekend deliveries by the dozen?
• Patch: What is your “day” job? Chad: I work on wireless telecom issues at the Federal Communications Commission.
• Patch: Do you ever see this growing into something more? Chad: I certainly dream about that, but I really don’t know. I’m having a lot of fun and getting good feedback from the bagel-eating public at my current scale, and I’m reluctant to tinker with what’s working.
• Patch: What’s wrong with other bagels in the area? Chad: There are some that are really very good, but I have two big complaints. First, many are not chewy enough. This is because many bakeries don’t boil them; instead, they bake them in a steam-infused oven, but that’s really not the same. Second, most are just way too big. When I want a bagel (which is pretty much all the time), I don’t want an 800-calorie monster the size of a hub cap. Like traditional bagels, mine are just a little smaller.
• Patch: Do you have any help? Chad: Definitely! My wife helps out a lot – for example, she created the Bagel Uprising Facebook page, and she helps shape some of the dough. My kids also “help” – mostly by sampling the finished product and stamping the Bagel Uprising logo on brown paper bags.

Do you have news to share with Patch readers? Please email maryann.barton@patch.com