Smoky onion and poppy seed bialys
- Preparation and cooking time
- Total time
- plus overnight fermentation and proving
- A little effort
- makes 8
Skip to ingredients
- 1 large onionpeeled and thickly sliced
- 1 tsp active dried yeast
- 300g strong white bread flour
- 175g plain flourplus more for dusting
- 1½ tsp sea salt
- 50g plain flour
- ½ tsp active dried yeast
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ tsp smoked sea salt
- ¼ tsp sweet smoked paprika
- 1 tsp poppy seedsplus a pinch extra for sprinkling
- a few pinches sesame seeds
Nutrition: per serving
- kcal272
- fat2.6g
- saturates0.5g
- carbs52.3g
- sugars2.1g
- fibre3.1g
- protein8.4g
- salt1.1g
Method
step 1
The day before you want to make the bialys, make the poolish starter. Mix the flour and yeast with 50ml warm water in a bowl, then cover with clingfilm and leave overnight.
step 2
The next day, start the dough by putting the onion in a small pan with 150ml water. Heat until the water just begins to bubble, then immediately take off the heat – you don’t want to lose any of the quantity through evaporation or the dough might become dry. Leave to cool to room temperature. Pour off the water into a measuring jug and check it’s 150ml – if not, top up. Keep the onions aside for later.
step 3
Meanwhile, mix the yeast with 100ml warm water and leave it to stand for 10-15 minutes until foamy. Tip the flours into a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, and when the yeast mixture is foaming, add the poolish starter and onion water. Turn the mixer to a low speed to combine the dough, then once it’s all together, turn up the speed to a medium setting and knead the dough for 5 minutes.
step 4
Add the salt and knead for 1 minute more. (Alternatively make by hand – mix first with a wooden spoon, followed
by your hands and then knead for 10-15 minutes on a lightly floured worksurface). Leave the dough in a bowl, covered by oiled clingfilm, in a warmish area until doubled in size for up to 2 hours.step 5
Knock back the dough by punching it down a couple of times, then cut into 8 equal pieces. Keep the rest of the dough covered while you work, one piece at a time, on a lightly floured worksurface. Shape the dough into flat rounds and poke the middles to make a dip for the filling – then space on a baking sheet, lightly dusted with flour. You’re going to need to cover the bialys with a deep roasting tin while baking – so check now that one fits, and space them across two trays if necessary.
step 6
When all are shaped, cover loosely with clingfilm or a slightly damp tea towel. Leave to rise again for 20 minutes until puffy and round.
step 7
While the dough is rising, make the filling. Finely chop the blanched onion, then put in a small pan with the oil. Fry gently until softened and really golden, then stir in the smoked sea salt followed by the paprika. Cook for a few minutes more, then take off the heat and stir in the poppy seeds and some ground black pepper. Cool.
step 8
Heat the oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. When the bialys are ready to bake, spoon about 1 tbsp of onions into the centre of each and sprinkle over a few more poppy seeds and some sesame seeds. Cover the bialys with an upturned deep tin, and put an ovenproof weight on top – a heavy baking dish, or even a brick.
step 9
Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the tin covering them and bake for 5-8 minutes more until the bialys are very lightly golden. Eat immediately or within a day as bialys don’t keep long. If you do have leftovers, split and toast, or pop them in the freezer.
