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Onion board

Jeff Dwork <jeff@jeff-and-reggie.com>
Mon, 17 Mar 2014 19:32:34 -0700
v114.n011.6
Onion board is also known as "pletsl", depending on where you're from.

This is another recipe from "Inside the Jewish Bakery" by Stanley 
Ginsberg and Norman Berg, ISBN 978-1-933822-23-5. You can use the 
bialy dough - see their bialy recipe in bread-bakers v114.n009.3 - or 
the "medium enriched dough" recipe below. You have your choice of any 
of three different filling recipes - there's one in the bialy recipe 
(v114.n009.3) and two more elsewhere in this digest.

Medium enriched (medium Vienna) dough

Bread flour     4 1/2 cups/21.8 oz/620 g/100%
Water           1 1/4 cups/10.0 oz/280 g/45%
Oil             2 Tbsp/1.0 oz/30 g/5%
Egg             1 large/1.7 oz/50 g/8%
Sugar           3 Tbsp/1.4 oz/40 g/6%
Malt            1 Tbsp/0.7 oz/20 g/3%   -- dry or liquid
Instant yeast   5 tsp/0.7 oz/20 g/3%
Salt            1 1/2 tsp/0.3 oz/10 g/2%

1. If using liquid malt, dissolve it in the water, then in a separate 
bowl combine the egg and oil and whisk lightly together. In a large 
mixing bowl or the bowl of your mixer, combine the flour, sugar and 
dry malt (if using) and yeast, then mix with a whisk or the flat 
(paddle) beater at low (KA 2) speed.

2. Add the water/malt and egg/oil mixtures at the same time to the 
dry mixture and blend until the dry ingredients are evenly hydrated 
and the dough forms a shaggy mass, 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle in the 
salt and mix for 1 minute more.

3. If kneading by machine: switch to the dough hook and knead at low 
speed for 8 to 10 minutes until the dough cleans the side of the bowl 
and stretches when pinched and pulled. Turn onto a well-floured work 
surface and knead by hand for 30 to 60 seconds. If kneading by hand:
turn the dough onto a well-floured work surface and knead until the 
dough is smooth and elastic and stretches when pinched and pulled, 12 
to 15 minutes.

4. Form the dough into a ball and put it in a lightly oiled mixing 
bowl, turning it upside down so that there's a thin coating of oil on 
the top surface. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and let the 
dough ferment for 45 to 60 minutes, until doubled in bulk.

5. Turn out onto a well-floured work surface, degas and knead gently.

Onion board

Use one recipe of dough and two recipes of onion filling.
Makes three 12 oz/340 g onion boards.

1. Preheat the oven to 400F/205C, making sure your baking surface is 
in the top third of the oven. Prepare onion filling and medium 
enriched dough as above. Divide the dough into three 12 oz pieces, 
roll into a thick sausage shape and stretch to a width of about 12 
in. Cover with plastic wrap or a lightly dampened tea towel and let 
rest for 20 to 30 minutes to relax the gluten and allow proofing to 
start. Divide the onion filling into thirds.

2. Place one of the dough sausages on a well-floured work surface so 
that the wide side faces you. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough 
first from side to side to a width of about 16 in, and then use your 
hands to stretch to a length of about 12 in. Try to stretch the 
center as thin as possible without tearing, while leaving about 1 in. 
of thicker edge. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet or 
proofing board, if using a baking stone. Use a fork to thoroughly 
dock (prick) the thin centers; this will prevent rising and the 
formation of bubbles in the dough.

3. Spread one-third of the onion filling on top. Immediately place 
the baking sheet in the oven or slide the parchment onto your baking 
stone and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the center turns a medium 
brown and the edges puff up. Remove to a rack and let cool for at least 1 hour.

4. Repeat with the rest of the dough.