I used to work for Panera. The reason their bagels have a smaller hole is because they are "pinched" bagels, meaning after the dough has proofed into bagel shapes they then pinch the hole close, add the cheese topping and bake (no boiling required) with about 30seconds to 1 minute of steam. Baking takes about 15-18 minutes. I hope this helps. Thanks for letting us know!-Jon

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