How to Bake Zwiebelkuchen (German Onion Tart)
Yields: one 10’’ x 16’’ loaf
Preparation time: 2hours
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Ingredients needed to make Zwiebelkuchen:
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup + 2 tbsp sour cream
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 package instant yeast
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 3 large white or yellow onions, finely chopped
- 3 bacon slices, chopped into ½’’ cubes
- 1 tsp caraway seeds
- Grated zest of half a lemon
- Salt to taste
Cooking instructions for Zwiebelkuchen:
- Add 4 tbsp of butter into a small saucepan and pour the milk into it.
- Heat the mixture until the butter melts and turn off the heat; set aside to cool until lukewarm.
- Pour this mixture in a bowl attached to an electric mixer, equipped with paddle attachment.
- Beat the mixture at low speed while adding the sugar, lemon zest, ½ tsp salt, yeast and egg yolks, one after another, until the sugar dissolves and they blend into a uniform mixture.
- Fold in the flour gradually while beating them into the mixture at the same time, until the dough becomes soft and smooth.
- Place the dough a lightly-floured working counter and knead it for about 5 minutes, into a smooth and pliable dough.
- Grease a bowl with butter and place the dough in it.
- Roll the dough along the sides of the bowl to grease it and wrap it up tightly in a cling film.
- Set aside for an hour in a warm place, until the dough rises to become double its original size.
- Warm up your oven to 400 degrees F and spread a parchment paper across an 11’’ x 17’’ baking sheet.
- Knock the dough down and roll it out into a flat rectangle, of about ¼’’ in thickness.
- Place it on the lined baking sheet and place a buttered plastic sheet on top to cover.
- Set aside for another 20 minutes to let it rise again.
- Add rest of the butter into a large skillet and melt it over medium heat.
- Throw in the bacon and cook for about 6 mins or until they turn crispy golden brown.
- Throw in the onions and cook for about 8 minutes, while stirring at times until they soften.
- Lower the heat, dust 1 ½ tsp of flour over the sautéed mixture and give it a nice stir to mix well.
- Whisk the egg and sour cream together in a small bowl and pour it into the above mixture.
- Stir them all together and cook for a minute, stirring, until the sauce thickens.
- Adjust the seasoning and remove from heat.
- Spoon this mixture on top of the dough and spread it evenly.
- Let it rest for about 15 minutes and top it up with caraway seeds.
- Bake the tart for half an hour or until it is baked through and the sides become crispy golden brown.
- Allow to cool on a wire rack, outside the oven until it is barely warm and serve.
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons
