2-Hour Bialys From Scratch

close up of a bialy with onion and poppy seed filling.

Learn how to make soft, chewy homemade bialys in just 2 hours! A cousin of the bagel, bialys are filled with a simple mix of onions, garlic, and poppy seeds. Perfect for breakfast or a snack! See notes for freezing instructions.

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Resting time 1 30

Total Time 2 5

Servings bialys

Ingredients

Bialy Dough

500 grams all-purpose flour
10 grams diamond crystal kosher salt
7 grams instant yeast
2 grams garlic powder (optional, about ½ teaspoon)
316 grams warm water

Onion and Poppy Seed Bialy Filling

2 teaspoons olive oil
80 grams onion (minced)
¼ teaspoon diamond crystal kosher salt (a pinch)
⅛ teaspoon black pepper (a pinch)
¾ teaspoons garlic powder (or 1 clove garlic, minced)
2 teaspoons poppy seeds

Instructions

Mix flour, salt, garlic powder, and yeast together in the bowl of your stand mixer. Make a well in the middle and pour the water into the center. Mix on low speed until the dough comes together in a messy ball on the dough hook. You may need to pause to push flour from the sides into the middle a few times.
If the dough feels dry, add up to an additional water ½ teaspoon at a time, mixing or kneading well between additions to give the water time to absorb. It’s a lot easier to add additional water to dry dough than it is to add flour to wet dough.
Knead. Knead the dough on low-medium speed for 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and slightly tacky to the touch. You’re looking for a dough that is smooth and elastic and clings just slightly to the bowl or your hands as you lift it out. If the dough is really sticky, dust in more flour and keep kneading.
Rise. Tuck the dough into a smooth round ball, and place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and let it rise for an hour in a warm spot until it's just about doubled in size.
Make the filling. While the dough rises, heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add minced onions, salt, pepper, and garlic powder, stirring frequently until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the poppy seeds, cooking 30 seconds more, then remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Pre-shape. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions and shape them into round balls with smooth tops and tight seams underneath. Dust the tops with flour, cover with a clean dish towel, and let rest for 30 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 450°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set it aside.
Shape and add filling. Working one at a time, dust a boule well with flour on both sides. Press the center flat, picking it up and using the pads of your thumbs and your first two fingers to gently rotate and stretch the center of the dough until it's thin enough to see light through it. Allow the dough to slip through your fingers as you stretch it so it doesn’t tear. Keep stretching until it is about 5” inches across. The thick rim should be about 1 inch wide, with the thin center about 3 inches across. Set the bialy down while you shape the others. The dough will shrink back slightly as they rest; repeat the stretching process once more on each bialy. Arrange the shaped bialys on the parchment-lined sheet pan. Split the filling between the bialys, spreading it up the sides of the crater you’ve made in the dough.
Bake. Bake the bialys immediately for 20 minutes.
Cool. Remove the bialys from the oven and transfer immediately to cool on a wire rack. They will have hard crusts when they first come out of the oven but will soften as they cool.

RECIPE NOTES