Earlier today, Atlanta’s Vaad – the Atlanta Kosher Commission (AKC) sent out a note regarding store-bought bagels about Pas Yisroel status:
“If store-bought bagels say “improves with bake” on the package, they can then be further baked by a Jewish person and are then considered Pas Yisroel according to many authorities. This is because many store-bought bagels are sold as underbaked with the intention that the consumer will finish baking them at home.”
OK Kosher certification agrees, based on a 2024 post on their website regarding parbaked (undercooked) items:
“Parbaked: Any baked product that is deliberately underbaked and therefore requires further baking can become Pas Yisroel when a Jew finishes off the baking. This is true even though the product was technically edible before the Jew finished the baking. Nevertheless, since the product requires improvement before being fit to serve, it can become Pas Yisroel when a Jew finishes baking it.
Toasting is not considered a significant enough improvement in this regard. Therefore, bread that is fully baked and is fit to be served as is, cannot become Pas Yisroel by a Jew toasting it. For this reason, flour tortillas and English muffins must be Pas Yisroel and cannot become Pas Yisroel after the fact by toasting on a griddle.”
The OU also agrees and brings receipts from the Shulchan Aruch:
“Yes. Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh De’ah 112:12) writes that if a non-Jew baked bread, it can become Pas Yisroel if a Jew is mashbiach (improves) the bread by placing the bread in the oven and continuing the baking process. The improvement is effective only if it is the result of additional baking. For example, if bread had a light color and a thin crust, and re-baking the bread will make it darker and give it a thicker crust, this improvement will render the bread Pas Yisroel. Similarly, Rabbi Belsky, zt”l held that if a Jew toasts bread or bagels to enhance the taste, this will effect a Pas Yisrael status. This is also the position of Rav Sternbuch (Teshuvos V’hanhagos I: 444).
In contrast, Sefer Issur V’heter Ha’Aruch (43:11) writes that heating cold bread to make it fresh does not make the bread Pas Yisroel since there is no change in the degree of baking.”
