I am reluctant to leave them out as I don't want them to go stale. To see if it was only bagels that have this problem, I tried the same with a loaf of bread. SQ Dear SQ, It seems altogether reasonable to think of refrigeration as a way to keep bread fresh. Unfortunately, refrigerator temperature has a unique affect on bread that actually works at cross purposes to what you are trying to accomplish. There is a better way, but first let's find out why the refrigerator is ruining your bread.
Bread goes stale when it's starch undergoes a change in structure.
There are actually two different types of starches in bread. Over time, each starch changes from a random to a more rigid arrangement. The first starch becomes rigid as the freshly-baked bread cools from oven temperature to room temperature. If allowed to cool a bit, though, the first starch sets up the bread gets structure and the loaf slices normally. The settling of the second starch takes up to a week.