Why we make our own cream cheese spread
The plain cream cheese spread at Bold Citadel is made in the shop, not bought in pre-packaged. This is not a complicated process, but it is an extra step that most small bakeries skip. The reason we do it comes down to texture and salt level, both of which are difficult to control in a commercial product.
What is wrong with commercial cream cheese
Most commercial cream cheese sold in Japan is formulated to be stable over a long shelf life and to spread easily straight from the refrigerator. These are reasonable goals for a retail product, but they require stabilisers and a higher water content than a bagel spread needs. The result is a cream cheese that is smooth and mild but lacks the slight tang and density that works well against a chewy bagel crust.
The salt level in commercial cream cheese is also calibrated for general use, which tends to mean it is on the lower end. A bagel already has salt in the dough and sometimes on the crust, so the spread needs enough salt to register against that, not to disappear into it.
The process
We start with full-fat cream cheese from a dairy supplier and combine it with a small amount of sour cream, which adds acidity and loosens the texture slightly without adding water. The ratio is roughly 85% cream cheese to 15% sour cream by weight. Sea salt is added to taste, which in practice means a higher salt level than the commercial product.
The mixture is beaten until smooth and packed into 80g tubs. It is made in small batches every two to three days and kept refrigerated. There are no stabilisers and no added sugar. The shelf life is three days from the date of production, which we mark on each tub.
Other spreads we have considered
We have made seasonal flavoured spreads occasionally, including a miso-walnut version in winter 2023 and a shiso-cream cheese in summer 2024. These were available for limited periods and sold well, but adding permanent flavoured spreads to the menu would require more refrigerator space than the current shop layout allows. We may revisit this when the shop next has a refit.
The plain cream cheese is the only spread we currently sell. It is designed specifically to work with our bagels, and that is the only brief it needs to meet.