Step 1 : Introduction to the question "3. What ring-shaped, individual bread is first boiled, then baked?"
...1. bialy 2. challa 3. loaf 4. bagel Bagels turn out better if you use high gluten flour, because this makes them chewy. The ring shape lets them cook evenly throughout, so you don't end up with an underdone middle and a rock-hard outer edge. It also came in handy in olden times since bagels could be threaded on a string or a stick to haul them to market.