Homemade Bialy Recipe - What Jew Wanna Eat (2024)

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If you love bagels (which you do) then you’ll love their rebellious sister the bialy! I bring you a homemade bialy recipe so good you won’t even need a toaster.

Homemade Bialy Recipe - What Jew Wanna Eat (1)

It’s the end of Labor Day aka the unofficial end of summer aka end of bikinis and the start of ALL THE CARBS! Bread lovers rejoice. I’ve made you bagels before (here, here, here and definitely here), and I hope you’ve had the chance to make your own bagels. If you like bagels (which I trust you do) you will LOVE (what’s with the capitals today? I’m just so excited!) their less popular but scrappieryounger sister (according to Irvin), the bialy.

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Even Beau wants a bialy! “Can I haz bialy?” Photo by Veronica Meewes

What is a bialy? I’m so glad you asked. This homemade bialy recipe is even easier to make than a bagel because it doesn’t require boiling prior to baking. They really are quite different than bagels, except for the fact thatthey are a round breakfast breadloved by Jews. Bialys are more or less the best roll you’ve ever had, with an indent filled with naturally sweet onions. They are chewy, in the best way possible. And because I’m rebellious too, I filled mine with some garlic and poppy seeds as well. I do what I want! Within reason of course.

I met my friend Veronica, a super talented food and travel writer and all around fun gal, over a year ago at the BlogHer conference. She isn’t a MOT, but she is from New Jersey, so pretty much the same thing. We have been talking about making bialyspretty much since the moment we discovered our mutual love for deli food. We had met for bagels…

And falafel…

But never made our own. That is, until now.

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Veronica came over my house and we drank mimosas and gossiped and made the best bialys I’ve ever had. And it was glorious. Then we ate said bialys slathered with cream cheese and lox and drank more mimosas and then I took a two hour nap and wondered where my day went and then I ate another bialy for dinner and watched Bachelor in Paradise (not sorry).

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Onto the bialys! I adapted my recipeFood.com, with some changes of course. First, make the dough. Combine 1/2 cup warm water, sugar and yeast. Then sit until foamy. Then add remaining water, salt and flours. Knead for 8 minutes by hand if you’e tough or with a dough hook on an electric mixer until dough is soft and not sticky and roll into a ball. Add a tiny bit of flour if your dough is sticky or water if it seems dry. Place dough in an oiled bowl and let rise for 1 1/2 hours or until tripled in size. Punch down and let rise another 45 minutes until doubled in size. On a floured surface, roll dough into a log and cut into eight pieces.

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Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper, and place rounds on the cookie sheets flattening slightly. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise another 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make filling by combining onion, poppy seeds, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. With your fingers make 1-inch indentation in each bialy and divide filling amongst bialys.

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Bake for 6-7 minutes and then reversebialys around in the oven from front to back and bake another 5-6 minutes until lightly browned, careful not to overcook.

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Oh yesss. These are best right out of the oven with cream cheese and lox. Or butter. Or both.

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Freeze any extras wrapped in foil and placed in a plastic bag, and toast those before noshing. With lots of garlic and onions,you would think these wouldn’t be a good date food but they are you’d be wrong. Just try to keep the boys away!

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Have you made your own homemade bialys?

Homemade Bialy Recipe - What Jew Wanna Eat (10)

Homemade Bialy Recipe

Amy Kritzer

If you love bagels (which you do) then you'll love their rebellious sister the bialy! I bring you a homemade bialy recipe so good you won't even need a toaster.

4.85 from 13 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Resting Time 2 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Bread

Cuisine Jewish

Servings 8

Ingredients

  • For bialy dough:
  • 2 cups water warm divided (110 to 115 degrees F)
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 packet 7 grams active dry yeast
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons salt
  • 3 cups bread flour sifted
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour sifted
  • Oil for bowl
  • For filling:
  • 2 tablespoons oil vegetable or olive works well
  • 1 medium onion, minced minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 large garlic clove minced
  • 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

  • First, make the dough. Combine 1/2 cup warm water, sugar and yeast. Let sit until foamy. Then add remaining water, salt and flours. Knead for 8 minutes by hand if you’e tough or with a dough hook on an electric mixer until dough is soft and not sticky and roll into a ball. Add a tiny bit of flour if your dough is sticky or water if it seems dry.

  • Place dough in an oiled bowl and let rise for 1 1/2 hours or until tripled in size. Punch down and let rise another 45 minutes until doubled in size. On a floured surface, roll dough into a log and cut into eight pieces.

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper, and place pieces on the cookie sheets flattening slightly into rounds. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise another 30 minutes.

  • Meanwhile, make filling by heating oil in a medium saute pan. over medium heat. Saute onion and salt for 4-5 minutes until translucent. Then add garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Combine with poppy seeds and pepper.

  • With your fingers make a 1-inch indentation in each bialy and divide filling amongst bialys.

  • Bake for 6-7 minutes and then reverse bialys around in the oven from front to back and bake another 5-6 minutes until lightly browned, careful not to overcook.

  • Freeze any extras wrapped in foil and placed in a plastic bag, and toast those before noshing.

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Adapted from Food.com

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Homemade Bialy Recipe - What Jew Wanna Eat (2024)

FAQs

Do you eat a bialy with cream cheese? ›

You can enjoy our Bell's Brooklyn Bagels' bialys with butter, cream cheese, eggs, or anything that makes your perfect sandwich. You can eat our bialys whole or sliced, separate or together, and anyway you like your bagels too. Our bialys are versatile and a lower calorie, low fat option for any time of day.

What makes a bialy different? ›

Bialys are similar to bagels. They are made with the same dough but they are not boiled before hand nor are they rolled. Instead they are pressed and stretched creating a slight depression that is traditionally filled with poppy seeds and caramelized onions, then baked.

Why is a bialy better than a bagel? ›

Bagels are made with high gluten flour to achieve their signature hard exterior and chewy texture. Bialys' consistency is more bread-like due to their not being boiled; they also contain large air bubbles once baked, making it all the more delightful when butter gets trapped inside the holes.

What is the difference between a bagel and a bialy? ›

bagel: What's the difference? A bialy is a flat roll with a depression in the center typically seasoned with an onion and poppy seed mixture. The more well-known bagel refers is a round roll, typically with a hole in the center. Unlike bialys, bagels are boiled and then baked, giving them a chewier texture.

Should bialys be toasted? ›

And unlike the bagel, which loses a reason to live after a few hours, the bialy is practically designed for toasting. It's good plain the next day, and even better when toasted and buttered.

What do you eat with bialy? ›

Bialys can be eaten on their own, without a smear of butter or cream cheese. That said, here are a few more ideas: Halve and toast day-old bialys; then spread with softened butter or cream cheese. Bialy egg sandwich: Broil one half covered with a slice of cheddar; broil the other half naked.

Why is it called a bialy? ›

The bialy comes from Bialystocker Kuchen or bread from Bialystok, Poland. In the old country, rich Jews ate Kuchen with meals – for the poor Jews, Kuchen was the meal. Now for us in the states, it is mostly eaten in the morning, heated and topped with butter.

Who invented bialy? ›

The Jews from Bialystok, Poland brought their local bread, called (not surprisingly) a “bialy” that they ate with every meal. The word “bialy” is actually a shortened version of “Bialystoker Kuchen” which in Yiddish means “l*ttle bread from Bialystok.”

What does bialy taste like? ›

A good bialy is crisp on the outside, slightly chewy in the middle, and light throughout. The dough should have a deep flavor, like good artisan bread. The filling should be a nice dollop of sweetly sautéed onions and a touch of poppy seeds. That's it.

Does a bialy have a hole? ›

Unlike a bagel, which is boiled before baking, a bialy is simply baked, and instead of a hole in the middle it has a depression. It is also usually covered with onion flakes. Before baking, the depression is sometimes filled with diced onion and other ingredients, such as garlic, poppy seeds, or bread crumbs.

Can you slice a bialy? ›

Just slice the bialy into bite-sized pieces, top with pizza sauce, shredded cheese, and your favorite toppings, then bake until the cheese is melted and the bread is crispy and golden. In the mood for bruschetta? Make it with bialys, instead.

Where were bialys invented? ›

Bialys (short for the Yiddish bialystok kuchen) originated in Bialystok, Poland, and were brought to America by Eastern European Jews immigrating in the early 1900s.

Are bialys high in carbs? ›

1 bialy of bialy (Bagels By Bell) contains 180 Calories. The macronutrient breakdown is 82% carbs, 2% fat, and 15% protein. This has a relatively high calorie density, with 254 Calories per 100g.

How much protein is in a bialy? ›

Bialy Roll Nutritional Facts and Calories
Amount Per Serving% DV
Sugars1g2%
Fiber4g14%
Proteins7g9%
Cholesterol0mg0%
7 more rows

Do people eat bagels with cream cheese? ›

Bagels with cream cheese are common in American cuisine, especially in the cuisine of New York City and American Jewish cuisine. Bagels with cream cheese became popular in the 1980s as they expanded beyond Jewish communities.

Is it okay to eat cream cheese on a bagel? ›

While bagels with cream cheese are delicious, traditional cream cheese is not necessarily healthy. This popular bagel topping is generally low in protein and high in fat and calories. The good news is that there are healthier cream cheese options, if cream cheese is your favorite bagel spread.

Do you put cream cheese on a toasted bagel? ›

You can just spread some cream cheese on your toasted bagel and add toppings of your choice. No recipe required, just use what you enjoy.

Can you eat a cold bagel with cream cheese? ›

A good bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon does not have to be toasted, as contrast with the fat and salt will be provided by the crunchy crust of a properly made bagel exterior. But a buttered bagel should almost always be toasted, so that you get that great, rich melted butter taste.

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