Freshly baked Bialys

These have been a favourite of ours ever since I made them a few months back and despite the 4 hour preparation time they are definitely worth the effort! There is nothing better than these little babies straight from the oven and accompanied by some homemade soup they are an absolute delight!

The Bialy is very similar in texture to the bagel - soft and chewy - however being baked only and not boiled prior to baking they have a much softer crust than that of their bagel brother. I had never heard of the Bialy before and came upon the recipe on the Smitten Kitchen blog (one of my blog obsessions). I was instantly like 'I have to make these', and from the photographs alone I was salivating. I often wish that we had more of a bakery culture in Manchester (and I cannot count Greggs as an authentic bakery); other cities seem to be spoilt with baked goodness but I must get my kicks by recreating such things in my own kitchen. There is one traditional Jewish bakery in Cheetham Hill I have been to which is the only one that has come close to my expectations and I was like a child in a sweet shop, greedily wanting to buy everything! In the end I settled for a seed topped Challah bread and a selection of bagels. This was not enough.

So I have made these about 4 or 5 times since discovering them and I am still trying to perfect the shape - mine always rise too much compared with the lovely Deb's. I think it is the shaping - I need to thin out the centres more so the onion filling is not pushed out when they are baked. I believe perseverance is the key and if I make these enough times I will master the art - you gotta have a dream! So here's how you make them...

Ingredients

(makes 6)

300g strong white bread flour

1/2 tsp fast action dried yeast

1 tsp sea salt

175ml water, at room temperature

1/2 small onion, chopped

1 tbsp poppy seeds

Olive oil

Salt & pepper

In a mixing bowl or bowl of an electric mixer add the flour and then the yeast to one side and the salt to the other so they are not touching (the salt will kill the yeast). Using the dough hook mix on a low speed and slowly add the water to form a soft dough. Turn up to a medium speed and mix for about 7 minutes. If you are doing this by hand you will probably need to double this time.

Cover the dough and leave to rise in a warm place for about an hour and a half to 2 hours. Because of the low yeast content it needs longer than other breads to rise but this is what gives it the dense chewy texture.

Deflate the dough by pressing down then transfer to a floured work surface and cut into 6 equal pieces. Shape the pieces by pressing your thumbs into the centre and turning round in your hands. Fold the edges in to the well made by your thumbs to make a kind of pouch then place (pinch side down) on a floured baking tray. Cover and allow to rise for another 2 hours.

30 minutes before that time is up preheat your oven to 250°C or as high as it will go.

To make the onion filling heat the olive oil and fry the chopped onion on a medium heat until soft and translucent (between 5 and 10 minutes). Add the poppy seeds and a good few twists of sat and pepper - taste and adjust to your liking. Allow to cool a little.

Take each dough ball at a time and make a firm indent in the centre - working the dough to flatten it out making a kind of spaceship shape. Add a spoonful of the onion into each well and lightly press down. Sprinkle with flour and bake for 6-10 minutes until mottled golden brown. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes until just warm then enjoy the baked goodness!