950g/7.5 cups bread flourI used Canadian bread flour
5tspsea salt
2tspdry yeast
710ml/3 cups water
For the filling
2tbspolive oil
1large onionI used red onion
1tbsppoppy seeds
Instructions
Whisk the flour, salt and yeast together in a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment and mix for a few seconds. Add the water and mix until it forms an elastic dough for about 5 minutes. By the end of it the dough should come away from the walls of your mixing bowl. Cover with a plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for 2 hours. it should double in size.
Turn your dough out on a floured surface and form it into a ball. With a sharp knife portion your dough into golf ball-sized pieces. Cover and let rest for 1 hour.
Meanwhile make the filling. Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the onion over low heat for 7-10 minutes. Add poppy seeds and mix. Take off the heat.
Preheat the oven to 500 F/260C.
Put a dough ball on your floured surface and make an indent in the middle with your thumb, then gently pull the opposite sides of ball to stretch. The indentation should be very thin but make sure not to tear. Fill the middle of each bun with ½ tsp of the onion filling.
Transfer bialys on parchment lined baking sheets and sprinkle with more poppy seeds. Fill ⅓ of a rimmed baking sheet with water and place in the lower rack of your oven. Place the baking sheet with bialys on a rack positioned in the middle of the oven. Bake for 8-12 minutes and cool on a wire rack.