Now America's best-loved bread-baking authority returns with the 30th anniversary edition of the New Complete Book of Breads, the definitive version of this baking classic. Clayton has written a new introduction, added a glossary, updated the sections on ingredients and equipment, and gone through every recipe, correcting and refining each one. The inviting new design keeps Clayton's explicit, easy-to-follow instructional format and makes the book easy to use. Clayton revised 200 of the original recipes and added 100 more with these new ingredients and equipment in mind.
Bialys and bagels go together, at least in the marketplace. Where one is sold the other is certain to be found nearby. The bagel probably holds a slight edge in popularity, but the bialy, a dimpled bun with an onion filling, is closing fast.
Both are solid, chewy, and delicious. Both come from the same Eastern European Jewish culture. The bialy was brought to this country by immigrants from Bialystok, a city in Poland, near the Russian border.
Growing up in a small town in Indiana, far from bialys and bagels, I did not appreciate their enthusiastic following until I wrote my first book - and did not include the bialy (or the bagel)! Letters have continued to challenge me Over the years - "How can the Complete Book of Breads be complete if it does not have the bialy (and the bagel)?" This recipe makes it complete.
Makes two dozen bialys
Filling:
2 tablespoons onion flakes
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
I tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
Dough:
4 1/2 cups bread or all-purpose flour, approximately
5 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 package dry yeast
1 3/4 cups hot water (120-130 degrees F)
BAKING SHEET: 1 baking sheet, sprinkled with cornmeal or covered with parchment paper
PREPARATION: 2 hours
To make the filling, soak the onion flakes in water for about 2 hours. Drain and press out the water with a paper towel. If the onion flakes are coarse, mince fine in a food processor or blender. Combine in a bowl with the poppy seeds, oil, and salt, and set aside.
BY HAND OR MIXER:10 minutes
To make the dough, measure 3 cups flour into the mixing or mixer bowl and add the dry ingredients. Stir to blend. Form a well in the flour and pour in the hot water. With a wooden spoon pull the flour from the sides into the middle and beat until a medium batter. If using a mixer, attach the flat beater and, with the machine running, pour in the hot water. Add flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until the batter becomes a rough but elastic dough. Attach the dough hook, if using the mixer.
KNEADING: 10 minutes
Turn the dough from the mixing bowl and knead with strong push turn-fold strokes; crash the dough down against the work surface occasionally to help develop the gluten. If the dough is sticky, dust with sprinkles of flour. If under the dough hook, the dough will clean the sides of the mixer bowl and form a ball around the hook. If it persists in sticking to the sides, add small portions of flour while the mixer is running. Knead for 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic when stretched.
BY PROCESSOR: 5 minutes
Attach the plastic dough blade.
Measure 3 1/2 cups flour into the work bowl and sprinkle in the dry ingredients. Pulse several times to mix well. With the processor fling, pour the hot water through the feed tube. Stop the machine, remove the cover, and with a rubber spatula pull all of the dry flour into the center. Pulse. Add 1 cup flour. Pulse for 3 seconds to blend. With the machine running, add flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until the batter becomes a mass that is carried around the bowl by the force of the blade and cleans the sides.
KNEADING: 50 seconds
When the dough has formed a ball, knead for 50 seconds. If the dough is slightly sticky when taken from the bowl, dust lightly with flour.
FIRST RISING: 1 hour
Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside to double in volume at room temperature, about 1 hour.
SECOND RISING: 45 minutes
With your fingers or fist punch down the dough, re-cover, and let double in volume again, about 45 minutes.
SHAPING: 12 minutes
Take the dough from the bowl and divide into 4 equal parts. Divide each part into 6 pieces. Roll each piece into a tight ball under a cupped palm. Let the balls rest for 10 minutes under a length of wax paper or a cloth.
With hard blows of your palm or under a rolling pin, shape each ball into a 4-inch circle, about 1/2-inch thick. Place on the prepared pan.
THIRD RISING: 30 minutes
Cover the circles with wax or parchment paper and put aside to rise to slightly less than double, 30 minutes. A baker would say "three-quarter proof."
FILLING: 8 minutes
With care not to deflate the outer part of the bialy, push a deep depression in the center with the thumbs. Stretch the dough uniformly outward until the well is at least 1 1/2-inches across, and thin on the bottom.
Place about 1/2 teaspoon of the onion filling in the well.
FOURTH RISING: 25 minutes
Cover the bialys with wax paper and allow them to rise until almost doubled, 25 minutes.
PREHEAT
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F 20 minutes before baking.
BAKING: 450 degrees F 45 minutes
Place the bialys on the middle shelf of the hot oven and bake until a light brown, about 25 minutes. (If using a convection oven, reduce heat 50 degrees.
FINAL STEP
Place the baked bialys on a metal rack to cool.
A bialy is delicious sliced in half horizontally and buttered, or Spread with cream cheese. Delicious, too, toasted. Or filled as for a sandwich.
