Stuffed Onion Bagels
The onioniest bagels pack a surprise onion filling.
Ingredients
Onion Filling:
- 1 medium onion (peeled and diced)
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- A pinch of fresh black pepper
- 13 grams olive oil (1 Tablespoon)
Bagel Dough:
- 3 grams active dry yeast
- 235 grams water
- 25 grams sugar (divided)
- 455 grams bread flour
- 20 grams non-diastatic malt powder, plus approximately 2 Tablespoons for water bath (or 10 grams malt barley syrup plus 1 Tablespoon for water bath)
- 10 grams salt
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 Tablespoon minced (dehydrated onion)
- Approximately 2 Tablespoons water
Instructions
- Onion Filling. Toss all ingredients in a medium frying pan. On a medium-low heat, cook onion mixture until onions are translucent and just begin to caramelize on the sides, 5-7 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature before making the dough.
- Dough. In a mixing bowl fitted with the dough hook, combine the yeast, water and approximately 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Gently stir to hydrate the yeast. Allow to sit until foamy, 3-5 minutes. Add the bread flour, rest of the sugar, 20 grams malt powder (or 10 grams malt barley syrup) and onion powder. (If using instant yeast, combine all ingredients except the salt and continue from here.) Knead on a medium-low speed for about 7 minutes. Then, with the mixer on a low speed, slowly add the salt. Once combined, increase the mixer to medium-low, and continue kneading an additional 3-5 minutes. The salt should be fully absorbed (you should not feel the salt when you touch the dough) and the dough should be very smooth.
- To make sure the gluten is fully developed, do a windowpane test. Take a small piece (approximately 1 teaspoon) of dough and stretch it between your fingers. It should form a “window pane”, meaning it should get thin enough that it is translucent without it ripping. If it is not at that point yet, continue kneading in the machine at 1 minute intervals or knead by hand until it passes the test.
- Divide the dough into six equal portions, each approximately 122 grams (If you want your bagels to each be equal, weigh the full entire dough and divide the weight by 6 for the total number of bagels. Shape each one into a ball, covering each with plastic wrap. Taking one dough ball at a time, flatten the ball with your fingers into an oval/rectangle, approximately four inches by six inches, so that the long part of the oval/rectangle is horizontal in front of you. Place two teaspoons of the onions across the top third of the dough, from left to right. Fold over the top third onto itself, pressing down so that none of the onions are exposed. Make another fold over the remaining portion of the dough. Pinch the ends of the log together so the onions cannot come out. With both your hands, roll the dough into a rope, approximately 8-9 inches long. In between rolling, it is a good idea to squeeze the log to release any air bubbles within it. Cover with plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining dough balls. Allow the six ropes to rest for 15 minutes.
- Attach the ends of each rope to form bagels. Place each bagel on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the tray, tightly covered in plastic wrap, in the refrigerator overnight.
- In the morning, remove the tray from the refrigerator and allow them to come to room temperature, approximately 45-60 minutes.
- Approximately 30 minutes before you plan to boil the bagels, preheat the oven to 425° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Place the dehydrated onion into a small bowl and pour enough water over it to cover it. Allow the dehydrated onion to sit in the water for at least 30 minutes. Strain the water from the minced onion. (If you do not have a fine mesh sieve, empty the wet, minced onion into a coffee filter or onto a paper towel. No need to squeeze or pat out the water. You want the minced onion to be wet, but you do not want the excess water it was soaking in.)
- Using a pot large enough to comfortably hold 2 or 3 bagels at a time, bring a pot of water with 2 Tablespoons of non-diastatic malt powder (or 1 Tablespoon malt barley syrup) to a boil. (I use a 4½ quart pot and fill it up approximately half way with water.) Place 2 or 3 bagels at a time into the boiling water for 30 seconds. (If the bagels are sticking to the parchment paper, do not force them off. Cut the parchment into squares and place the bagels, parchment side up, in the boiling water. Using tongs, immerse the bagels for a few seconds in the boiling water and remove the parchment paper with the tongs.) Flip each bagel and boil for an additional 30 seconds. Using a strainer or a slotted spoon, remove each bagel from the water and place on the prepared baking tray. Cover each bagel with the re-hydrated onion. Repeat with the rest of the bagels.
- Bake the bagels for 16-20 minutes, until the tops are browned.
Notes
- Some people spread corn flour or semolina flour on the parchment paper before placing the bagels on the baking sheet before refrigeration to prevent the bagels from sticking to the parchment paper. If the bagels stick to the parchment paper just prior to boiling, I prefer to avoid the additional mess and instead just cut the parchment paper into squares (each square holding a bagel) and boil the bagels with the parchment squares on them. After a few seconds in the boiling water, you can easily remove the parchment with tongs.
- Once baked and cooled, the bagels can be stored in the freezer for months. I recommend slicing them before freezing. To defrost, wrap each bagel individually in foil, place in cold oven, and turn oven on to 350°F. Within a few minutes of your oven reaching 350°F, your bagels should be defrosted and nicely warmed, begging for butter to be shmeared all over them.
Nutrition
Calories: 338kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 702mg | Potassium: 126mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 3IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg
