Babes Bake Onion Board

We're finally getting some cooler weather...and maybe even rain on Sunday and Monday!!...so it's fun to bake again. Our September challenge was chosen by Karen.  It's an Ashkenazi Jewish flatbread and is sometimes called Onion Board. This is an easy flatbread topped with a thick layer of savory sautéed onions. Over that is sprinkled a nice amount of poppy seeds. I even sprinkled on a few flax seeds that I found in the freezer. I recommend adding a sprinkle of sea salt over the whole topping because the onions cook up fairly sweet.

The bread itself is simple, but you do have to make it ahead of time so that it has overnight (or at least 10 hours) to rise and ripen. I used part white whole wheat flour and it was tasty, although it didn't rise very much. Sweetie really loved the topping. We had it with a dinner that included steelhead trout and a mixed green salad with fresh from the garden tomatoes, cucumber, and carrots. It went really well!

Do bake with us and become a Buddy. Our Kitchen of the Month, Karen of Karen's Kitchen Stories, will send you a beautiful Buddy Badge, designed by Elizabeth, if you send her an email with a description of your bake and a photo by Sept. 29th. You'll also be included in the round-up! There is also more information about the bread on her website.

Also, check out the sites for the other Babes to see their take on this simple but delicious yeasted flatbread with onion topping. 

Happy September!

Sept 2022 - Onion Board 

 

Dough

375 grams (3 cups) all purpose flour

7 grams (2 1/4 teaspoons) instant yeast

7 grams (2 teaspoons) Diamond Crystal kosher salt

3 tablespoons, olive oil, divided

294 grams (1 1/4 cups) warm water (about 110 degrees F)

Spray oil

Topping

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for stretching

3 large yellow or brown onions, about 3/8 inch dice

1 3/4 grams (1/2 teaspoon) kosher salt

1 tablespoon (plus more if desired) poppy seeds

1/2 teaspoon flax seeds (optional)

Flake sea salt (optional)

 

Instructions:

Mix the dough ingredients with a dough whisk until all of the flour is absorbed. 

Spray a large bowl or dough rising bucket with spray oil and scrape it into the dough. Spray the top lightly with spray oil, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise overnight, about 10 to 15 hours. It should double. 

Remove the dough from the refrigerator while you heat the oven and prepare the onions. 

If you have a baking stone, set it on a rack in the middle or slightly below. Heat your oven to 450 degrees F. 

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet and add the onions. Cook, stirring regularly, until the onion is translucent and slightly browned about the edges, about 20 to 30 minutes. When they are almost done, stir in the salt. Remove the onions from the pan and let cool in a bowl. 

Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper and spread with 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the paper. Scrape the dough onto the parchment and spread it by dimpling it with your oiled fingertips while pushing to the edges. If the dough is resistant, let it rest for 10 minutes, and start spreading it again (until you have about a 10 inch by 14 inch rectangle). 

Brush the edges of the dough lightly with olive oil. Spread the onion mixture over the dough, leaving about a 1 inch border. Sprinkle with onions with the poppy seeds. Lightly sprinkle with the optional sea salt. Let rest, uncovered, for about 10 to 15 minutes. 

Place the baking sheet on top of the baking stone and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. 

Cut with a pizza wheel. It's best fresh from the oven, but can be reheated, just like pizza.