Traditional Onion Bialys with Spelt

Rings of bread featuring a hollowed-out middle filled with sauteed onions and poppy seeds is how I characterize these Traditional Onion Bialys with Spelt.

These delightful morsels are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside due to the inclusion of Pâte Fermentée and being baked on a baking stone.  My version is made with all-purpose Spelt flour rather than regular bread flour so they are only traditional in the sense that they are filled with onions and poppy seeds (except I didn’t have any poppy seeds so I used chia seeds).

What are Bialys?

Bialys was the challenge for the Bread Baking Babes for July. I had never tried them before so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Fortunately, Judy, our host kitchen this month, made it easy for us and provided us with a couple of different methods to choose from as well as some helpful links to background info about these round breads.

They originated in Bialystock, Poland, hence the name. They are sometimes described as a type of sub-bagel, but this is not the case. They are in a class all of their own.  These ringed breads are baked; whereas bagels are boiled, then baked, and have the characteristic shiny outside. These delightful rounds are easy to make, bubbly on the inside, and filled with deliciousness.

My experiments with this bread

The first time I made these breads, I omitted the salt in the preferment and had the baking steel down too far in the oven so they turned out a bit pale.  I should also confess, rather sheepishly, that I also used the wrong amount of preferment in the first batch so they had more of a bready texture.  When they first came out of the oven, all I could taste was flour. My taste tester and I were not impressed.  I covered them with plastic and tasted them again the next day, and they were much better.  I should say that just because they were a little bready and pale, it didn’t stop me from enjoying them. I just knew they could be improved.

1st attempt: Too much pate fermentee and not enough salt produced bread that was too bready in taste and texture.

For round two, I made sure to include the correct amount of salt, and preferment.  I also turned the oven down a bit.  This helped achieve better results.  However, I think they could brown a little better.  I had the baking steel on the bottom rack and moved it up when I noticed the rounds weren’t browning, but next time, I’ll put the baking steel on the middle rack instead of the bottom rack.

2nd Attempt: Using the correct amount of pate fermentee and salt produced a chewy crumb and crispy crust.

The following recipe makes enough for 6 or 7 bialys, depending on how big you shape them.  If you want to make a full batch (12 bialys), just double the ingredients in the preferment and final dough.

Onion Bialys with Spelt

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• Author: Bread Experience
• Yield: 6-9 Bialys 1x

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Description

Rings of bread featuring a hollowed-out middle filled with sauteed onions and poppy seeds is how I characterize these Traditional Onion Bialys with Spelt.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

Pâte Fermentée:

• 30 grams lukewarm water
• pinch instant yeast
• 45 grams all-purpose spelt flour
• 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

Final Dough:

• 160 grams lukewarm water
• 262 grams all-purpose spelt flour
• 75 grams pâte fermentée (risen and deflated and cut into walnut-sized pieces)
• 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
• 1/2 tablespoon Kosher salt

Filling (Prepare while the dough rises):

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, more as needed
• 1 large yellow onion (~3 cups/300 grams), chopped finely
• 1/4 cup (30 grams) fine dried bread crumbs
• 1/2 – 1 tablespoon poppy seeds (or chia seeds) or too taste
• 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

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Instructions

Day 1: Make the Preferment

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast and salt. Pour in the water and mix until no bits of dry flour remain. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Refrigerate for 8 to 24 hours.

Day 2: Mix the Final Dough

1. Combine the water and flour in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Let rest for 20 minutes.
2. Add the pâte fermentée, yeast, and salt and mix using wet hands or a Danish dough whisk until everything is completely combined. Do a few fold and turns in the bowl to strengthen the dough.
3. Place in a large bowl, lightly greased, if preferred, cover with plastic wrap, and proof at room temperature until doubled in volume, about 90 minutes. Perform two stretch and folds; one at the 45-min mark and another at the 90-min mark.
4. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 8 hours or longer depending on your schedule. I let them cold ferment for 8 hours during the day and baked them in the evening of the same day.

Evening Day 2 or Morning Day 3: Shaping the Rounds

1. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface. Divide into 6 equal pieces (about 80g each) and form each piece into a small bun. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 5 minutes.
2. Beginning with the first ball, flatten each one into an approximately 4” disk. Place disks on a parchment-lined baking sheet about 1” apart.
3. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let proof until they are very soft and hold an indentation when touched, about 60 to 90 minutes.

Prepare the Filling:

1. While the disks are proofing, saute the onions in the olive oil on medium-low heat until they are just turning brown, about 15 minutes or so. They should reduce to about 1/3 their original volume. Place the onions in a bowl and mix with the bread crumbs, poppy seeds and salt. Add more olive oil if the mixture is too dry. Set the mixture aside to cool.

Prepare for Baking:

1. Heat a baking stone or steel in a 475° oven for at least 30 minutes.
2. Uncover the bialys and create a depression in the center of each disk. Place filling in the depression.
3. Slide the parchment onto the baking stone, and bake until golden, about 12-15 minutes. After placing the bialys in the oven, I reduced the heat by 25 degrees to keep the bialys from burning on the bottom before they browned on top.
4. Transfer to a rack to cool for a few minutes. Serve immediately.
5. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight plastic bag for up to 2 days.

Notes

Adapted from The Hot Bread Kitchen: Artisanal Baking from Around the World.

This recipe makes enough for 6 or 7 bialys, depending on how big you shape them.  If you want to make a full batch (12 bialys), double the ingredients in the preferment and final dough.

• Category: Bialys
• Cuisine: Bread

Now that I understand what all the fuss is regarding these rolls, I want to make them again and again.  Perhaps I’ll bring these the next time I do a demo at the local farmer’s market.

You’re invited to bake along with us as a Bread Baking Buddy!  Judy is the host kitchen. Check out her post for the details on how to participate.

And be sure to check out the Bialys the other Babes made.

Bake My Day

 – Karen
blog from OUR kitchen – Elizabeth
Bread Experience – Cathy
Feeding my Enthusiasms – Elle
Judy’s Gross Eats – Judy
Karen’s Kitchen Stories – Karen
My Kitchen In Half Cups – Tanna
Notitie Van Lien – Lien
Thyme for Cooking – Katie (Bitchin’ Bread Baking Babe Bibliothécaire)
A Messy Kitchen – Kelly

Happy Baking!

Cathy