I know they both have holes in the centre, but bagels and doughnuts are fundamentally different. They use different ingredients and come from different culinary traditions.
A bagel is a dense bread made from basic ingredients like yeast, flour, water, and salt. The unique chewiness of a bagel comes from boiling it in water (often with malt) before baking. This process gives it a glossy finish and that unmistakable texture.
On the other hand, a doughnut is a sweet treat. Its dough often contains sugar, butter, milk, and eggs. Donuts can be yeast-based or cake-based. Typically, you’ll find doughnuts fried, which gives them a light and airy or cakey texture, depending on the type.
And then there’s the flavour. Bagels typically lean savoury or plain. You’ll top them with cream cheese, lox, or deli meats — the Fress Deli page has photos that show this: https://fressdeli.com/. Donuts, in contrast, are sweet. They’re adorned with glazes, sugar, frosting, or filled with jam or cream.