Classic Bialys
Traditional Polish bialys with onion-poppy seed filling, overnight fermented for deep flavor.
Ingredients
- 14 cups bread flour
- 2.88 tsp table salt
- 1.25 tsp instant yeast
- 0.50 tsp onion powder
- 2.25 cups water
- — onion
- 1 tsp poppy seeds
- 3 to 4 grinds black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp farina
- 1 tbsp cornmeal
Equipment
- stand mixer
- food processor
- saucepan
- baking sheet
- oven
- cooling rack
Instructions
Dough
Weigh your 7 cups bread flour ; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Combine the 7 cups bread flour , 2.75 tsp table salt , 1.25 tsp instant yeast , and 0.50 tsp onion powder in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a beater attachment.
Switch to a dough hook, add the 2.25 cups water and mix until just combined, 1 minute or 2 minutes at low speed.
Stop the mixer, cover the bowl, and let sit for 20 minutes .
After this rest, uncover the bowl and continue kneading at medium speed for 8 minutes , or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Cover and refrigerate the dough (in an oiled bowl if desired) overnight for a slow, cool rise that will develop the dough's flavor.
Filling
Pulse the onion in a food processor until very finely chopped, but not liquid. Mix in the 1 tsp poppy seeds , 0.13 tsp table salt , and 3 to 4 grinds black pepper .
Heat the 1 tbsp olive oil in a saucepan and cook the onion mixture for 3 minutes over medium-low heat until the liquid cooks off and the onion is very slightly caramelized. Remove from the heat and cool.
Shape and Bake
Next day, divide the dough into 12 pieces (they'll weigh just under 4 ounces each) and round each into a ball. Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet , cover with greased plastic, and let rise at room temperature for 1 hour , or until puffy.
Preheat the oven to 475°F.
Lightly sprinkle 2 baking sheet s with 1 tbsp farina or 1 tbsp cornmeal . Take each dough ball and stretch it into a bagel shape about 6 " to 7 " in diameter, without puncturing the center, and leaving a wide, flat indentation where the hole would be. Place a few inches apart on the prepared baking sheets, 6 per pan.
Place a scant teaspoon of the onion filling in the indentation and spread it out with your fingers. Don't overfill; a little goes a long way.
Bake for 8 minutes to 10 minutes , until light golden brown.
Remove the bialys from the oven and serve warm; or cool on a cooling rack and save for toasting later.
View Cooklang Source
---
title: Classic Bialys
description: "Traditional Polish bialys with onion-poppy seed filling, overnight fermented for deep flavor."
servings: 12
total time: 10 hours
prep time: 45 minutes
cook time: 10 minutes
tags: [bread, baking, bialys, overnight]
cuisine: Polish-Jewish
difficulty: intermediate
---
== Dough ==
Weigh your @bread flour{7%cups}; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Combine the @bread flour{7%cups}, @table salt{2 3/4%tsp}, @instant yeast{1 1/4%tsp}, and @onion powder{1/2%tsp} in the bowl of a #stand mixer{} fitted with a beater attachment.
Switch to a dough hook, add the @water{2 1/4%cups} and mix until just combined, ~{1%minute} or ~{2%minutes} at low speed.
Stop the mixer, cover the bowl, and let sit for ~{20%minutes}.
After this rest, uncover the bowl and continue kneading at medium speed for ~{8%minutes}, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Cover and refrigerate the dough (in an oiled bowl if desired) overnight for a slow, cool rise that will develop the dough's flavor.
== Filling ==
Pulse the @onion{1} in a #food processor{} until very finely chopped, but not liquid. Mix in the @poppy seeds{1%tsp}, @table salt{1/8%tsp}, and @black pepper{3 to 4%grinds}.
Heat the @olive oil{1%tbsp} in a #saucepan{} and cook the onion mixture for ~{3%minutes} over medium-low heat until the liquid cooks off and the onion is very slightly caramelized. Remove from the heat and cool.
== Shape and Bake ==
Next day, divide the dough into 12 pieces (they'll weigh just under 4 ounces each) and round each into a ball. Place on a lightly oiled #baking sheet{}, cover with greased plastic, and let rise at room temperature for ~{1%hour}, or until puffy.
Preheat the #oven{} to 475°F.
Lightly sprinkle 2 #baking sheet{}s with @farina{1%tbsp} or @cornmeal{1%tbsp}. Take each dough ball and stretch it into a bagel shape about 6" to 7" in diameter, without puncturing the center, and leaving a wide, flat indentation where the hole would be. Place a few inches apart on the prepared baking sheets, 6 per pan.
Place a scant teaspoon of the onion filling in the indentation and spread it out with your fingers. Don't overfill; a little goes a long way.
> Resist the temptation to be generous with the onions: the moisture in them can keep the center of the bialy from cooking at the same speed as the edges, causing the center to puff up like a topknot.
Bake for ~{8%minutes} to ~{10%minutes}, until light golden brown.
Remove the bialys from the oven and serve warm; or cool on a #cooling rack{} and save for toasting later.