Bialy

A bialy is often described as a bread flatter than a bagel with an indentation - not a hole - on the top, that is generally filled with onions and any other filling of your choice.It is crisper and denser than a bagel and when toasted, is crunchy. 

Ingredients:

For the dough:
1 teaspoon instant yeast
1 tbsp sugar
1 1/4 cup water
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
Milk for brushing the dough

For the Onion Filling:
1 tbsp oil
3 medium onions, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
3/4 tsp garam masala
Salt to taste
100gm paneer, crumbled (optional)

Heat oil - add the cumin seeds and while they crackle add the onions. saute them until golden ,season with salt and garam masala . take off the heat and add the crumbled paneer.

Method:

Add the yeast, sugar, salt and flour in the food processor bowl. Pulse a couple of times to mix and then add the warm water in a steady stream. Knead until the dough comes together as a mass and then let the dough rest for 10 minutes. This  helps the dough absorb water.
Knead again, until your dough is smooth and elastic but not sticky. Add flour or water to achieve the right consistency.
Shape it into a ball and place it in a well oiled bowl and let it rise in a cool place. The dough should rise double its size. At this point it is ideal to leave the dough in the refrigerator and use it the next day to make the bialys chewy . Thus considering the fact that they will be used the next day - leave the dough out for about 30 mins prior to shaping them.

Divide the dough into equal sized balls ( I made about 12) Make a smooth ball by pinching the ends to the bottom & place it on a baking tray.place them distant from each other. keep them covered and let it rise for about an hour or two.....until they pass the test of leaving a dent to a touch.
I have used a round ladle to press down on each ball to leave a well . Prick the centre with a fork so that they do not rise. Fill in with the onion paneer mix. Coat the outer ring with milk.
Set to bake in a pre heated oven - at abt 400F for about 15 - 20 minutes.

Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour. I link this post to My Diverse Kitchen. Thank You Aparna - her narrative on Bialy is worth reading. I link this post to