The German onion pie with the sonorous name of Zwiebelkuchen is a traditional peasant dish. It is especially popular in the fall when the harvest is in progress. Zwibelkuchen in Germany is often served with a glass of sour grape must or young, daring wine.
In Germany, there are several regional varieties of onion pies, the zwiebelkuchens. Some are flat, with a thin layer of filling, cut into squares, while others are round and deep, generously filled with onion mixture, and served by cutting them into segments. Prepare the cake the way it is baked in Swabia, an area in southwestern Germany famous for its cuisine. To do this, you will need:
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons of wheat flour;
- 6 tablespoons of butter;
- 1 glass of warm milk;
- 1 teaspoon of fast yeast;
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 1 kg of onions;
- 5 slices of bacon;
- 1 ½ cups sour cream 30% fat;
- 4 large eggs;
- 2 ½ teaspoons of fine salt;
- 1 teaspoon of cumin;
- freshly ground black pepper.
Take a dough. Sprinkle the warm milk with an even layer of yeast and let sit for 5 minutes. Place half a cup of flour and ½ teaspoon of salt in a bowl of a food processor, heap them over and make a depression in the center. Put in this "well" four tablespoons of softened butter, cut into small cubes, pour in the milk with yeast and use the hook attachment to knead the dough for 6 minutes. Form the dough into a ball and place in a greased bowl, wrap with cling film and let the dough rise in a warm place. It should double the volume.
Instead of kneading the dough yourself, you can buy ready-made, store-bought yeast dough.
Peel and finely dice the onion and chop the bacon. In a preheated deep skillet, lightly fry the bacon when it is golden. Drain off excess fat, add onion along with two remaining tablespoons of softened butter. Stir, reduce heat, and simmer all of the mixture until the onions are golden brown. This will take about 30-40 minutes. Let the mixture cool.
For zwiebelkuchen, you need aromatic bacon, with thin veins of meat and a pleasant smell of smoked meats.
Whisk the sour cream and eggs in a deep bowl, add the remaining flour and salt, cumin and a pinch of pepper. Add the sautéed onion and bacon mixture. Mix thoroughly.
Lubricate the 22cm split pan with butter. Roll out the dough and cover the bottom and edges of the mold with it, prick with a fork. The dough should rise one centimeter above the edges, as it will settle during baking. Pour in the filling.
Place the zwiebelkuchen in an oven preheated to 180 ° C and bake for 55-60 minutes, until the filling turns slightly brown and grabs in the center. Remove the cake from the oven and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes. Slice and serve. Zwibelkuchen is tasty both warm and cold.
A variation of the Zwiebelkuchen is the Elsian Flammkuchen. This cake is baked on a thin layer of yeast dough, smeared with sour cream. The filling is thin brown onion rings and bacon. These pies are more like a kind of pizza. Sometimes they add pieces of mushrooms, Münster or Gruyere cheeses. Especially delicious is the dessert version of this onion pie with apples and cinnamon, sprinkled with Calvados.
