Day Recipe Food Community

Zwiebelkuchen mit Speck

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 6 hr (includes dough rising)

Makes 12 hors d’oeuvre or 6 light-lunch servings.

INGREDIENTS

• for dough
• 1cup warm water (100–110°f)
• 1/2teaspoon honey
• 1/4teaspoon active dry yeast (from a 1/4-oz package)
• 2cups high-gluten all-purpose flour (not bread flour) such as sir lancelot high gluten flour*
• 1/2teaspoon saltfor topping
• 5oz slab bacon, rind discarded and meat cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices, then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips (about 3/4 cup)
• 3tablespoons cold water
• 2tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2lb small onions (about 8), halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 1/4teaspoon caraway seeds
• 1/2teaspoon black pepper
• 3/4teaspoon salt
• 2tablespoons crème fraîche
• 1tablespoon minced fresh thymespecial equipment:a standing electric mixer with paddle attachment and dough hook; a pizza stone; a small offset spatula

DIRECTIONS Make dough:
Stir together water, honey, and yeast in bowl of mixer and let stand until creamy, about 5 minutes. Add flour and salt and beat with paddle attachment at medium speed until a dough forms. Attach dough hook and knead dough at medium speed until dough no longer sticks to side of bowl, 10 to 15 minutes. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let dough riseat warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 4 hours. (Dough will be sticky.)

Make topping:
Put pizza stone in bottom third of oven and preheat oven to 450°F.

Sprinkle bacon in a 12-inch skillet and add water. Cook bacon over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until fat is rendered and bacon is translucent, about 6 minutes. Transfer bacon with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, then pour 1 tablespoon bacon fat into a 15- by 10- by 1-inch baking pan. Cool fat to warm, then grease pan with your fingers. Discard any remaining bacon fat and reserve skillet.

With greased fingers, transfer dough to baking pan and stretch into a small rectangle. Continue to stretch until dough is a 10- by 8-inch rectangle, letting it rest about 3 minutes between stretches. (Dough will become more malleable as it rests.)

Assemble and bake tart:
Heat butter in reserved skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides, then cook onions with caraway seeds, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, stirring occasionally, until onions are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Spread onions on a baking sheet and cool completely, 5 to 10 minutes.

Stir together crème fraîche, thyme, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl, then dollop over dough and spread evenly to edges with offset spatula. Sprinkle with bacon and onions.

Bake tart in pan on stone until edges of crust are golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack until warm, about 10 minutes, before cutting. Serve warm.

* Available from The Baker’s Catalogue (800-827-6836).

ALSACE

Serve with a green salad for a lovely lunch or light supper. What to drink: Gewürztraminer or a dry Alsatian Riesling.

Makes 6 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/4cups (or more) all purpose flour
• 1cup warm water (110°f to 115°f)
• 1teaspoon active dry yeast
• 1/2teaspoon fine sea salt3/4cup crème fraîche*
• 1/3cup large-curd cottage cheese
• 1/3cup sour cream
• 2small white onions, very thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 12ounces 1/4-inch-thick bacon slices cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips
• freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS Combine 1 cup flour, 1 cup warm water, and 1 teaspoon yeast in large bowl; stir to blend well. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let stand until mixture bubbles, about 30 minutes. Stir in salt, then 1 1/4 cups flour. Mix until soft slightly sticky dough forms, adding more flour by tablespoonfuls if very sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 1/2 hours.

Preheat oven to 500°F. Lightly flour 2 large baking sheets. Lightly flour hands; punch down dough and divide in half. Roll out each half on lightly floured surface to thin 16×10-inch rectangle. Transfer each rectangle to prepared baking sheet. If dough shrinks, roll or stretch each back to size. Puree crème fraîche, cottage cheese, and sour cream in processor until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread cream mixture over crusts. Sprinkle onions and raw bacon over cream mixture, dividing equally. Bake tarts until edges of crusts are crisp and brown, about 14 minutes. Sprinkle generously with pepper; cut into pieces and serve.

*Sold at some supermarkets. If unavailable, heat 1 cup whipping cream to lukewarm (85°F). Remove from heat and mix in 2 tablespoons buttermilk. Cover and let stand in warm, draft-free area until slightly thickened, 24 to 48 hours, depending on temperature of room. Refrigerate until ready to use.