At 10:49 AM 01/22/2000 -0800, "Glenn in Denver" wrote in B-B v.100 n.006.8:
>Hi All.
>
>This question is basically addressed to New Yorkers but if you know the
>answer anyway, jump on in.
>
>There is a recipe that I've been having an unusual amount of difficulty
>finding. They are called BIALYS (pronounced bee-ah-lee). I may be off on
>the spelling. I think they are Jewish. They are in most NYC bagel stores
>that do their own baking. They are the size of a bagel except there is no
>hole. The center is pressed flat and some onion and/or garlic and other
>spices are sprinkled in the center. The dough seems more like pizza crust
>than like a bagel.
This recipe ought to work. When I was a kid, we always bought these at a
bakery about a 5 minute walk from home in Massachusetts, and I assumed that
they were available everywhere until I got a little older and found out
that not everyone is Jewish. They've got to be eaten fresh and hot, or at
least reheated within a day or two of baking. Stick them in the oven and
crisp them up good, slather a little butter on them and eat 'em up.
Bialys
2 cups warm water
1 pack Yeast
2 teaspoons sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (or other coarse salt, such as sea salt)
4 1/2 to 5 cups high protein bread flour (the higher the protein, the
chewier they'll be)
Topping:
1 tablespoon oil
1 1/2 teaspoons poppy seeds
1/3 cup minced onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
In large mixing bowl, combine 1/2 cup warm water, yeast, & sugar and let
stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Mix remaining warm water, salt, and
flour into yeast mixture. Knead until smooth (the dough will be soft).
Place dough ball in a greased bowl, turn it around and place with greased
side up. Let rise, cover with plastic until tripled in bulk, about 1 1/2
hours. Punch dough down, turn it over, cover and let rise until doubled.
Punch dough down and roll into 2 cylinders. Cut each into 8 rounds. Lay
them flat, cover with a towel and let rest.
Prepare topping by mixing all topping ingredients. Set aside. Preheat oven
to 425F.
Pat dough into flattened rounds (a little higher in middle). about 3 1/2
inches in diameter. Place on lightly floured board,cover with a dry towel
and then a damp towel and let rise until increased by about half in bulk
(half proofed), about 30 minutes.
When risen, press bottom of small shot glass in center of each bialy, to
make deep flat half dollar size indentation in bialy. Let rise another 15
minutes. (DO NOT LET THEM DOUBLE).
Put bialys on ungreased baking sheets. Fill each indentation with about 1
to 2 tablespoons of the topping, but do not spread over the rest of the
roll. Bake on upper and lower shelves of the oven for 6 to 7 minutes, then
switch pans and reverse positions of pans(front to back) until bialy's are
evenly browned, about 5 to 6 minutes more. Cool on racks.
They should be crisp, crunchy and delicious, and the onion should be
thoroughly translucent and somewhat caramelized. If you don't eat them all
up (unlikely), wrap them in a tightly closed plastic bag and freeze. Reheat
directly in oven.