OF ALL THE NEW YORK FOODS I MISS LIVING IN L.A., BIALYS ARE AT THE TOP OF MY LIST. THERE'S WONDERFUL BREAD NOW EVERYWHERE -- TARTINE, CLARK STREET, RÉPUBLIQUE, BREAD BAR, BUBB AND GRANDMA'S. THERE ARE DECENT BAGELS SUCH AS MAURY'S IN SILVERLAKE, BUT BIALYS, THEIR CHEWY, PUFFY, ONION-BEDECKED COUSINS, ARE AS RARE AS HEN'S TEETH. BEFORE IT CLOSED, I USED TO PAY A KING'S RANSOM TO BUY THEM FROM BARNEY'S IN BARNEY'S, BUT BARNEY'S WENT BANKRUPT A FEW YEARS AGO, SO THE ONLY TIME I GET THEM IS WHEN I'M IN NEW YORK AND CAN GO DIRECTLY TO THE SOURCE. UNTIL NOW. UP IN MAINE LAST SUMMER WITH NOTHING MUCH TO DO BUT SHOP, COOK AND EAT, WITH NO GOOD BREAD EXCEPT WHAT WE BAKED OURSELVES, WE FOUND A KING ARTHUR FLOUR RECIPE ONLINE. THE RESULTS WERE SURPRISINGLY SATISFYING. THE RECIPE ISN'T DIFFICULT, BUT IT'S A LOT OF STEPS AND I GOT LAZY BACK L.A., BACK IN BREADLAND, I GOT LAZY. LATELY, I'VE BEEN TINKERING WITH THE ORIGINAL RECIPE, TRYING TO DUPLICATE THE NEW YORK ORIGINAL AND I'VE GOTTEN PRETTY CLOSE. SMALLER THAN KING ARTHUR'S WITH MORE ONIONS, POPPY SEEDS AND SOME ADDED BLACK SESAME SEEDS. SO THE FOLLOWING IS STRICTLY FOR MY L.A. AFICIONADOS. NOW ALL YOU NEED IS SOME DECENT NOVA. GOOD LUCK.
COMBINE ALL THE DRY INGREDIENTS IN THE BOWL FOR THE MIXER.
IF DOING SO BY WEIGHT, PLACE THE BOWL ON THE SCALE, SET FOR GRAMS AND ZERO IT OUT.
AFTER ADDING EACH INGREDIENT, ZERO OUT AND ADD THE NEXT INGREDIENT.
PLACE BOWL ON THE MIXER WITH A MIXING BLADE. COMBINE AT LOW SPEED.
SWITCH MIXING BLADE FOR DOUGH HOOK. POUR IN THE WATER AND MIX AT LOW SPEED FOR 1 OR 2 MINUTES. COVER WITH PLASTIC WRAP AND LET SIT FOR 20 MINUTES.
REMOVE PLASTIC WRAP AND MIX DOUGH AT LOW SPEED FOR ABOUT 8 MINUTES OR UNTIL IT IS SMOOTH AND ELASTIC.
LIGHTLY OIL A METAL BOWL. FORM THE DOUGH INTO A BALL AND PLACE IN THE BOWL, COVER AND REFRIGERATE OVERNIGHT.
THE FOLLOWING DAY, DIVIDE THE DOUGH INTO 16 PIECES AND FORM INTO BALLS. IF THE DOUGH IS STICKY, FORM THE BALLS ON A LIGHTLY FLOURED WORK SURFACE USING AS MUCH FLOUR AS YOU NEED TO DO THE JOB. ARRANGE DOUGH BALLS ON A LIGHTLY-OILED BAKING SHEET. COVER WITH LIGHTLY-OILED PLASTIC WRAP AND ALLOW TO SIT FOR AN HOUR OR UNTIL IT'S PUFFY. NOTE: IT WILL NOT RISE DRAMATICALLY.
STRETCH AND FORM THE BALLS. CREATE AN INDENTATION IN THE CENTER FOR THE ONION MIXTURE. ARRANGE THE BALLS ON TWO BAKING SHEETS SCATTERED WITH CORNMEAL.
HEAT OVEN TO 475º.
PEEL THE ONION. CUT LENGTHWISE INTO QUARTERS. SLICE CROSSWISE INTO 1/4-INCH QUARTER MOONS.
SPREAD THE POPPY AND SESAME SEEDS IN A CAST IRON PAN AND TOAST ON A MEDIUM FLAME TILL YOU CAN JUST SMELL THE SCENT OF THE SEEDS. DUMP IN THE SLICED ONIONS AND A FEW GLUGS OF OLIVE OIL. SALT AND COVER.
COOK ONIONS ON A LOW FLAME UNTIL THEY COLLAPSE. REMOVE THE LID AND CONTINUE TO COOK TILL THE LIQUID EVAPORATES AND THE ONIONS BEGIN TO CARAMELIZE. BROWN TO YOUR LIKING.
SPOON ONION MIXTURE INTO THE INDENTATIONS IN THE BIALYS AND PRESS LIGHTLY INTO THE DOUGH.
BAKE FOR ABOUT 8 MINUTES OR UNTIL LIGHT BROWNED.
COOL ON A RACK TO TOAST LATER OR LET A COUPLE COOL JUST ENOUGH TO SLAVER WITH GOOD BUTTER AND EAT RIGHT NOW.
Ingredients
Directions
COMBINE ALL THE DRY INGREDIENTS IN THE BOWL FOR THE MIXER.
IF DOING SO BY WEIGHT, PLACE THE BOWL ON THE SCALE, SET FOR GRAMS AND ZERO IT OUT.
AFTER ADDING EACH INGREDIENT, ZERO OUT AND ADD THE NEXT INGREDIENT.
PLACE BOWL ON THE MIXER WITH A MIXING BLADE. COMBINE AT LOW SPEED.
SWITCH MIXING BLADE FOR DOUGH HOOK. POUR IN THE WATER AND MIX AT LOW SPEED FOR 1 OR 2 MINUTES. COVER WITH PLASTIC WRAP AND LET SIT FOR 20 MINUTES.
REMOVE PLASTIC WRAP AND MIX DOUGH AT LOW SPEED FOR ABOUT 8 MINUTES OR UNTIL IT IS SMOOTH AND ELASTIC.
LIGHTLY OIL A METAL BOWL. FORM THE DOUGH INTO A BALL AND PLACE IN THE BOWL, COVER AND REFRIGERATE OVERNIGHT.
THE FOLLOWING DAY, DIVIDE THE DOUGH INTO 16 PIECES AND FORM INTO BALLS. IF THE DOUGH IS STICKY, FORM THE BALLS ON A LIGHTLY FLOURED WORK SURFACE USING AS MUCH FLOUR AS YOU NEED TO DO THE JOB. ARRANGE DOUGH BALLS ON A LIGHTLY-OILED BAKING SHEET. COVER WITH LIGHTLY-OILED PLASTIC WRAP AND ALLOW TO SIT FOR AN HOUR OR UNTIL IT'S PUFFY. NOTE: IT WILL NOT RISE DRAMATICALLY.
STRETCH AND FORM THE BALLS. CREATE AN INDENTATION IN THE CENTER FOR THE ONION MIXTURE. ARRANGE THE BALLS ON TWO BAKING SHEETS SCATTERED WITH CORNMEAL.
HEAT OVEN TO 475º.
PEEL THE ONION. CUT LENGTHWISE INTO QUARTERS. SLICE CROSSWISE INTO 1/4-INCH QUARTER MOONS.
SPREAD THE POPPY AND SESAME SEEDS IN A CAST IRON PAN AND TOAST ON A MEDIUM FLAME TILL YOU CAN JUST SMELL THE SCENT OF THE SEEDS. DUMP IN THE SLICED ONIONS AND A FEW GLUGS OF OLIVE OIL. SALT AND COVER.
COOK ONIONS ON A LOW FLAME UNTIL THEY COLLAPSE. REMOVE THE LID AND CONTINUE TO COOK TILL THE LIQUID EVAPORATES AND THE ONIONS BEGIN TO CARAMELIZE. BROWN TO YOUR LIKING.
SPOON ONION MIXTURE INTO THE INDENTATIONS IN THE BIALYS AND PRESS LIGHTLY INTO THE DOUGH.
BAKE FOR ABOUT 8 MINUTES OR UNTIL LIGHT BROWNED.
COOL ON A RACK TO TOAST LATER OR LET A COUPLE COOL JUST ENOUGH TO SLAVER WITH GOOD BUTTER AND EAT RIGHT NOW.
Notes
