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

Overview

This video guides viewers through making classic bialys, emphasizing its distinct features from bagels, such as its shallow onion and poppy seed well and soft, lean dough. It details the process from kneading to a hot, fast bake, ensuring a chewy interior with a thin, crisp crust and an aromatic savory center.

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 olive oil
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
• pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Combine 3 1/2 cups bread flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon instant yeast, and 1 teaspoon sugar in a large bowl.
2. Add 1 1/4 cups warm water at 110 degrees and 1 tablespoon olive oil, 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, finely dice 1 large onion.
6. Sauté the diced onion in 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes until soft and translucent.
7. Stir in 1 tablespoon poppy seeds and a pinch of salt to the onion mixture.
8. Set the onion filling aside to cool completely.
9. Punch down the risen dough and divide into 8 equal pieces, about 3 ounces each.
10. Round each piece into a smooth ball, place on a floured surface, cover with a towel, and rest for 10 minutes.
11. Flatten each ball into a 4-inch disk.
12. Press your thumbs firmly into the center to create a shallow well about 2 inches wide, leaving a puffy 1-inch rim around the edge.
13. Place the shaped bialys on parchment-lined sheet pans.
14. Cover loosely and proof for 20 minutes.
15. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the cooled onion-poppy filling into each well.
16. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.
17. Bake at 475 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes until the rim is lightly golden and the bottom is firm when tapped.
18. Cool on a wire rack.

In this video

• A bialy is distinct from a bagel, featuring no hole, no boiling, and a shallow well filled with soft onion and poppy seeds.
• The dough for bialys should be soft and lean, baked hot and fast to achieve a chewy interior and a thin, crisp crust.
• Knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes until it is smooth, elastic, and springs back when pressed, ensuring it is soft and slightly tacky.
• Allow the dough to ferment at room temperature for 1 to 1.5 hours until it doubles in size, appearing puffy, airy, and alive.
• When making the filling, finely dice and sauté 1 large onion in 1 tablespoon olive oil for 8 to 10 minutes until soft and translucent, but do not caramelize it.
• The onion filling must be completely cool before being placed into the dough wells to prevent melting the dough and destroying the bialy's shape.
• To shape, flatten each dough ball into a 4-inch disk and press thumbs firmly into the center to create a shallow 2-inch wide well with a 1-inch puffy rim.
• Preheat the oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit and bake the bialys for 10 to 12 minutes until the rim is lightly golden and the bottom is firm.
• The finished bialy should 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 main difference between a bialy and a bagel?

A bialy is never boiled and has no hole, unlike a bagel. Its center is a shallow well filled with soft onion and poppy seeds, and the dough is soft and lean.

How long should I knead the bialy dough?

Knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes until it becomes smooth, elastic, and springs back when pressed. It should feel soft and slightly tacky but not sticky.

What kind of filling goes into a bialy?

The filling consists of finely diced onion and poppy seeds, sautéed until soft and translucent. It should be savory, not sweet, and completely cooled before use.

What temperature should the oven be for baking bialys?

Preheat your oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit. This hot, fast bake ensures a crisp crust and a soft, chewy interior.

How do you shape a bialy's center?

Flatten each dough 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.