Classic Bialys: Soft Dough, Shallow Onion Well, and Hot Fast Bake

Overview

This video guides viewers through baking classic bialys, a distinct Jewish bread that is never boiled and features a shallow, onion and poppy seed-filled well instead of a hole. Learn how to achieve a chewy interior, a thin crisp crust, and an aromatic savory center through a hot and fast bake.

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups bread flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon instant yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 1/4 cups warm water at 110 degrees
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine 3 1/2 cups bread flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon instant yeast, and 1 teaspoon sugar.
2. Add 1 1/4 cups warm water at 110 degrees and 1 tablespoon olive oil to the dry ingredients, then stir until a shaggy dough forms.
3. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes until it is smooth, elastic, and springs back when pressed.
4. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover tightly, and let it ferment at room temperature for 1 to 1.5 hours until it has doubled in size.
5. While the dough rises, make the filling: dice 1 large onion finely.
6. Sauté the diced onion in 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes until soft and translucent, ensuring not to caramelize it.
7. Stir in 1 tablespoon poppy seeds and a pinch of salt to the softened onions, then set aside to cool completely.
8. Punch down the risen dough and divide it into 8 equal pieces, about 3 ounces each.
9. Round each piece into a smooth ball, place on a floured surface, cover with a towel, and rest for 10 minutes.
10. Flatten each ball into a 4-inch disk, then press your thumbs firmly into the center to create a shallow well about 2 inches wide, leaving a puffy 1-inch rim.
11. Place the shaped bialys on parchment-lined sheet pans, cover loosely, and proof for 20 minutes.
12. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the cooled onion-poppy filling into each well.
13. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.
14. Bake at 475 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes until the rim is lightly golden and the bottom is firm when tapped.
15. Cool the finished bialys on a wire rack.

In this video

• A bialy is distinct from a bagel, characterized by never being boiled, having no hole, and featuring a shallow center well.
• The center of a bialy is filled with a soft onion and poppy seed mixture, providing an aromatic savory flavor.
• The dough for bialys is soft and lean, designed for a hot and fast bake to achieve a chewy interior and thin crisp crust.
• Kneading the dough for 8 to 10 minutes is crucial for developing a smooth, elastic texture that springs back when pressed.
• The dough must ferment at room temperature for 1 to 1.5 hours, doubling in size to become puffy, airy, and alive.
• The onion filling is made by finely dicing 1 large onion, sautéing it until soft and translucent (never caramelized), and mixing with 1 tablespoon poppy seeds and a pinch of salt.
• It is essential for the onion-poppy filling to be completely cooled before adding it to the bialy wells to prevent melting the dough and destroying the shape.
• Shaping involves flattening each dough ball into a 4-inch disk and pressing thumbs into the center to create a 2-inch wide shallow well with a puffy 1-inch rim.
• Bialys are proofed for 20 minutes before filling and baked at 475 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.
• A perfectly baked bialy will have a puffy golden rim, a shallow onion-filled center, and a soft, chewy interior that tears rather than crumbles.

Frequently asked questions

What is the key difference between a bialy and a bagel?

A bialy is distinct from a bagel because it is never boiled and does not have a hole; instead, it features a shallow well in the center filled with soft onion and poppy seeds.

How long should bialy dough be kneaded?

The dough for bialys should be kneaded for 8 to 10 minutes until it is smooth, elastic, and springs back when pressed, feeling soft and slightly tacky.

What temperature should the water be for making bialy dough?

The warm water added to the dough mixture should be at 110 degrees to properly activate the yeast.

How do you prepare the onion filling for bialys?

To prepare the filling, finely dice 1 large onion and sauté it in 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes until soft and translucent, then stir in 1 tablespoon poppy seeds and a pinch of salt and cool completely.

What is the correct oven temperature and baking time for bialys?

Bialys should be baked at 475 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes, until the rim is lightly golden and the bottom is firm when tapped, to avoid overbaking.