Bialys: buns with onion and poppy seeds

[shain]

Makes 8 large buns.

Make the dough 1-3 days ahead of baking.

 

Dough:

• 380g AP flour
• 20g whole flour (or more AP flour)
• optional: 10g dried onion flakes (1 heaping tablespoon)
• 3g dry yeast
• 20g sugar (I reduce 10g and add 30g malt syrup)
• 9g salt
• 275g room temp water
• 15g butter, cubed

Onion mixture:

• 2 large onions (350g), finely diced
• 15g butter (~1 tbpsn)
• 20g poppy seeds
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 tsp water

 

Dough prep:

• Dissolve the yeast in the water.
• In a mixer (or by hand), mix all of the dough ingredients until a dough forms.
• Knead for ~5 minutes, then let rest for ~10 minutes.
• Repeat kneading a total of 3 or so times, until the dough is strong.
• Cover and refrigerate overnight and up to 3.

 

On day of baking, prepare the onion, mixture:

• Set aside ~2 tablespoons of the chopped onion.
• Lightly caramelize the remaining onion in the butter.
• Add water, salt, poppy seeds and raw onion that was set aside.
• Chill.

 

Shaping and baking:

• Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Dust you working surface with flour.
• Divide dough into 8 equal pieces.
• Shape each into tight balls.
• Place each on a dusted towel or surface. I prefer working with semolina rather than flour.
• Cover and let rise until almost doubled in size, fluffy and very relaxed - for 1.5-2.5 hours.
• Meanwhile, heat the oven to 240 C.
• Dust each with semolina and/or flour, lightly flatten, and gently stretch the center, similarly to shaping a tiny pizza, but retaining the air around the edge.
• Place each on the parchment lined baking sheet, 4 per sheet.
• Portion the onion mixture on top of the center of each.
• Bake until fully rised, and lightly browned, possibly with slightly darker spots.
• Remove onto cooling rack.
• Brush with butter.
• Let cool for ~15 minutes.
• Before serving - return to a hot oven (temperature no critical) and bake for 3-7 more minutes, until they gains a little more color.
• Serve with cream cheese.

 

 

[weinoo]

Nice job. 

[lemniscate]

I prefer bialys over bagels anytime.  Those are as good as I've ever seen.