Make Homemade Bialis From Packaged Pizza Dough
Store-bought pizza dough is one of my favorite bread-making tools, maybe even my all-time favorite. We made lazy zeppols , pretzels and cinnamon rolls from this versatile bag of dough, and it was only a matter of time before we started making bialis too. Go ahead and quickly thaw the frozen dough you were about to use, this appetizer is about to become the bial you’ve been dreaming of.
Byaly is a popular Jewish yeast bun, originally from Bialystok, Poland . The bread has the same crumb as a bagel, but is made without all the boiling fuss. Instead, byals are shaped, filled with a savory mixture of onions and poppy seeds, and baked. The quintessential white shape is the only tricky part (and I have a few tips for you, don’t worry). It’s like a bagel that doesn’t have a hole punched in it, like the inner chamber of River Run or this cat bed . The center is flattened to hold the flavorful onion mixture, while the edges puff up to form a soft and chewy inner ring of the tube. This is delicious summer fun.
While you can make your own biala dough from scratch, packaged pizza dough is a nearly perfect substitute. It’s a low-fat dough, the gluten structure is chewy, the flavor is neutral, and best of all, it’s ready. No mixing, no kneading, no proofing. Defrost pizza dough if it is frozen; if it was stored in the refrigerator, take it out to room temperature and set it on the table for 20 minutes.
Lightly flour a work surface and pour out the dough. Stretch it into a rough rectangular shape. A pound of dough makes eight bials, so cut it in half and cut the two halves into quarters each. Form each piece of dough into a bread ball. If you are not familiar with bread shaping, you can watch my video above for detailed instructions and techniques for all your bread ball shaping needs. (Besides my obsession with bread, you will see step by step formation.)
Flour the front and back of each ball and flatten them into discs using the index and thumb of both hands, pinching them from the center. This is just the first stretch and the dough will be firm. No big deal, you’re just trying to smooth them out a bit. Lay them out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover the baby bialis with a damp kitchen towel and let the gluten rest and relax for 20-30 minutes.
The dough will rise a little during this time, but most importantly, now you can stretch and shape the bialys without losing gluten. I made a batch and skipped this step and instead pierced the center to prevent bloating. The dough basically died laughing in my face. He recovered completely, and the injections seemed to make him huff even more. The 20 minute wait is well worth it and is a good time to prepare the filling and preheat the oven to 450°F.
The premise is fantastically simple. Fried onions with a little poppy seeds and salt. Cut a medium-sized onion into small cubes, about 1/4 inch. I used sweet onions, but any onion will do. Drop a tablespoon of butter and a little butter into a skillet to melt over medium heat. Add onion pieces and stir. Add the salt and keep turning the onion as it cooks. Remove them from the heat when they are soft, translucent and just starting to take on a hint of color, about 10 minutes. Transfer them to a bowl to cool and stir in the poppy seeds.
Pizza dough should be very pliable after resting. Take a ball of dough, dip the front and back in some flour and stretch it out from the center with your thumbs and forefingers, rotating it to keep the round shape. The middle should be very thin – the fingertips will almost be visible through the dough. Put it back on the baking sheet and repeat this with each bial.
I found this biala shaping tip in this post , and whether it actually helped or not, I felt it helped me stay in shape. Once they are stretched, use a small, flat-bottomed measuring cup to press down on the center to seal the indentation and keep it from puffing up. Place about a tablespoon of the onion mixture in the center of each bowl. Press down on the mixture so that it is in the “inner tube” of the dough. Bake at 450°F for 10-15 minutes, or until pastry is lightly browned.
These bials are delicious anytime, fresh out of the oven or after they’ve been at room temperature for a few hours. If you have a lot left, you can freeze them and revive them in a toaster or deep fryer for a few minutes at 350°F.
Bialis pizza dough
Ingredients:
- 1 pack pizza dough (16 ounces), thawed
- 1 medium sweet onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon butter
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Use two baking sheets if they are small.
Dust a work surface with flour and place the dough on top. Cut it into eight equal pieces. Roll into balls and roll them into disks. Sprinkle the bottom with flour and place on a baking sheet. Cover them with a damp kitchen towel and let them rest for about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 450°F. Add oil and butter to a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and salt, stir the mixture. Cook until the onion is soft, translucent and some of the edges are browned. Turn off the heat and scrape the onion into a bowl. Stir in poppy seeds.
After resting, the dough balls should be pliable. Dredge each in a little flour and pinch the dough between your thumb and forefinger, pressing and stretching from the center. Make the middle thin, but leave the edges loose. Bialis will be 4 to 5 inches wide. Stretch each and place back on the baking sheet. Use a flat-bottomed glass or measuring cup to press the center indent firmly for good measure. Place about a tablespoon of the onion filling on each bial and spread evenly. Bake 10-15 minutes at 450°F or until puffed up and browned around the edges.