I worked as as a bagel baker in Portland, Maine. The owners had studied in NYC with traditional bagel bakers and we did it right -- baked on boards, not sheet-pans. Bagels steam on sheet-pans -- that's no way to get the proper texture/crust. I ate a ton of bagels while working there but I have no idea to what extent that might've influenced my listening or gear preferences. I was listening mostly to Jazz at that point and didn't have a lot of money for gear. System was a 100 watt Nakamichi receiver, Denon CDP and some B&W's (P5's?). Never thought to try using bagels as footers, though.
I continued baking another 6 years -- long enough to develop an allergy to both wheat and yeast. I haven't eaten real bread in close to 20 years. Still listening to Jazz, though -- haven't become allergic yet.