How to Make Fun Little Cheese & Onion Breads

This recipe is inspired by the humble bialy. Classic bialys are made with a poolish, and the filling only contains onions and breadcrumbs, and the dough is baked without glazing or decoration. The basic bialy is a great little treat, but I wanted something extra, and I wanted it today. So, we’re ditching the pre-ferment and we’re adding some cheese to the filling, and we’ll be glazing these little bad boys and sprinkling them with seeds to create quick, cute, and absolutely delicious crowd pleasers.

This recipe makes 5 portions. To make more simply multiply all of the ingredients.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the dough

160g (5.65oz) water

3g (0.1oz) instant dry yeast or 3.6g (0.13oz) active dry yeast or 9g (0.32oz) fresh yeast

6g (0.21oz) salt

250g (8.8oz) white bread flour

 

For the filling –

200g (7oz) diced onions

Salt & pepper

Olive oil

 

100g (3.5oz) grated cheese. I used cheddar, but you can use any cheese you like.

 

For glazing and topping –

1 egg, whisked

10g (0.35oz) linseeds

10g (0.35oz) poppy seeds

10g (0.35oz) sesame seeds

 

To learn more about no-knead bread dough temperature control click here.

The flour I use has a protein content of 13%. If your flour is weaker, then you may need to lower the hydration. 

If you are using active dry yeast, then you may need to let it sit in the water for 10 minutes before adding the other ingredients or else it could take a lot longer to raise the dough.

Method

  1. Make the filling. Cook the onions with olive oil, salt, and pepper on medium heat for 10 – 15 minutes stirring occasionally. Once golden-brown remove from the heat and transfer to a small bowl to cool down. After cooling down the onions add the grated cheese and leave on the side for later.
  2. Make the dough. In a large bowl combine the water, yeast, and salt. Mix well. Add the flour and mix to a dough. *Desired dough temperature 24C (75F). If your dough is warmer, then it will ferment more rapidly. If it is cooler, then it will take longer. Adjust fermentation time accordingly.
  3. Cover and ferment for 40 minutes.
  4. Fold.
  5. Ferment for 40 minutes.
  6. Divide the dough into 5 equal pieces. Shape into balls.
  7. Cover and proof for 1 hour.
  8. Make an indentation in the middle of the dough ball and stretch it out like a little pizza. Brush with egg and sprinkle with seeds. Add the filling.
  9. Bake for 12 minutes at 210C (410F) fan on or 230C (445F) fan off.

 

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.

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