I’m originally from Texas, and M is from Chicago originally, New York the last 40 years or so. Of course I’d heard of bagels – who hasn’t – but bialys were somewhat new to me. I’d kind of heard of them, I think I’d even eaten one before. I knew they had onions in the center, I remembered that. They’re really really delicious, that’s what they are. And if you have any comfort at all making yeast dough, they’re extremely easy to make. Forgiving, too. And anyway, does anything smell better than bread baking?
insert smellavision here
2 cups warm water
3 packages active dry yeast
4 teaspoons sugar
3 teaspoons salt
6 to 6-1/2 cups bread flour
Flour for dusting
Topping:
minced onion (I mince a small onion)
sesame seeds
one tablespoon olive oil
one large pinch kosher salt
Combine topping ingredients and set aside.
In a large bowl sprinkle yeast over the warm water to soften; stir to dissolve. Add the sugar, 6 cups of flour, and salt. Mix thoroughly until dough forms up and comes away from the sides of the bowl. Knead for 10-12 minutes.
Shape the dough into a ball; place in a large oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover and allow to rise 30 minutes – with all that yeast, this stuff is alive! Press out all of the air with your fingers and allow to rise until doubled in size (20 to 30 minutes).
Divide the dough into 18 pieces. Roll into balls. Cover and allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes.
Roll out each ball into a ~ 3-1/2″ circle. If the dough becomes too stiff or shrinks back, allow it to rest and go on to the next piece. Evenly space the circles on floured or cornmeal dusted baking pans. Cover with flour-rubbed cloths and allow to rise until puffy.
On each bialy, make an indentation from the center outward, leaving a 1″ rim. Press with a circular motion. Spoon a bit of the filling into the indentation. Dust lightly with reserved flour (and a little kosher salt if you want – it’s very good!).
Cover with cloths and allow to proof until puffed up. Bake without steam in a preheated 450°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes.
mouthwatering
This recipe makes ~18 bialys, which is obviously more than M and I can quickly eat. After they cool, I bag them and freeze them for quick snacking throughout the week. We usually have bialys or focaccia or ciabatta in the freezer, since I’m a bread baking fool. 