Sourdough Pletzel (Jewish Onion Board)

This Sourdough Pletzel, a Jewish flatbread sometimes called Onion Board, is topped with onions and poppy seeds, similar to bialys.  It represents a cross between focaccia and a bialy, and is generally shaped either in a board or a disk (called an onion disk).

According to this article by Joan Nathan, it is believed pletzel was originally made with either leftover challah or bialy dough. Her version, which is also in her book, King Solomon’s Table, includes eggs.

Karen, of Karen’s Kitchen Stories, is the host kitchen for the Bread Baking Babes and she picked Pletzel as the bake of the month.

The recipe she chose uses a lean, bialys-style dough, fairly high in hydration (about 78%). It’s easy to make but requires an overnight rise in the refrigerator. Otherwise, this recipe requires very little hands-on time and is very forgiving. You’ll spend the most time preparing the onions.

After sautéing and baking, the onions are super sweet and delicious.

This recipe was adapted from two sources, The Essential Jewish Baking Cookbook by Beth Corman Lee, and The Savory Baker by America’s Test Kitchen.

Notes on making Sourdough Pletzel:

My version is naturally leavened and made with Maine Grains organic, sifted, all-purpose, stone-ground whole-wheat flour.  The whole grain flour makes the flatbread a bit denser, but provides more fiber as well as depth of flavor.   I didn’t have any poppy seeds on hand so I omitted those.

I baked my sourdough flatbread on a baking steel, and it turned out a bit crispier than I anticipated.  I had turned the oven down to 425 degrees, but the oven preheated longer than necessary because I was winging the timing while prepping the onions and shaping.

The sourdough version needs a bit longer ferment on the counter after shaping (which I indicated in the instructions) so by the time I was ready to bake, the oven had been preheating longer than necessary.  I recommend preheating the oven after shaping to give the dough enough time in the final proof.

Suggested timing:

Evening before bake

8:00 pm: Prepare dough, let rest at room temp

10:00 pm: Place dough in the refrigerator to cold ferment (10-15 hours)

Next Day

5:00 pm: Remove dough from the refrigerator, let rest 30 min, sauté onions

5:45 pm: Preheat oven, shape flatbread, final proof (30 min to 1 hour)

6:45 pm: Bake flatbread

Sourdough Pletzel (Jewish Onion Board) Recipe

Sourdough Pletzel, a Jewish flatbread sometimes called Onion Board, is topped with onions and poppy seeds, similar to bialys.  It represents a cross between focaccia and a bialy, and is generally shaped either in a board or a disk (called an onion disk).

Dough:

• 360 grams all-purpose flour (I used highly extracted, sifted, whole wheat flour)
• 30 grams sourdough starter, active and fed
• 7 grams (2 teaspoons) kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons, olive oil, divided
• 279 grams (scant 1 1/4 cups) warm water (about 110 degrees F)

Topping:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for stretching
• 3 large yellow or brown onions, about 3/8-inch dice (I used 2 medium onions)
• 1 3/4 grams (1/2 teaspoon) kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon (plus more if desired) poppy seeds
• Flake sea salt (optional)

Instructions:

Prepare dough

In a large bowl, mix the dough ingredients with a dough whisk or wooden spoon until all of the flour is absorbed.

Cover and allow the dough to rest on the counter for 2 hours at room temperature. During the first hour, give the dough two stretch and folds at 30-minute intervals. Then allow the dough to rest an additional hour.

Cold ferment overnight

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean, reusable plastic bag, and place it in the refrigerator to rise overnight; about 10 to 15 hours. It should double.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow it to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour.  Prepare the onions while the dough is warming up.

Sauté onions and shape 

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 (or smaller, if using a smaller pan).

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 and poppy seeds, if using. Lightly sprinkle with the optional sea salt. Let rest, uncovered, for 30 minutes to an hour.

Preheat oven

If you have a baking stone, set it on a rack in the middle or slightly below. Heat your oven to 450 degrees F.   I used a baking steel, which gets hotter than a baking stone, so I turned the oven down to 425 degrees.

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

Slice the onion flatbread with a pizza wheel. It’s best fresh from the oven but can be reheated, just like pizza.

 

 

Happy Baking!
Cathy