Zwiebelkuchen
Onion tart
Zwiebelkuchen: Swabian and Baden onion tart on yeast dough with caraway
GermanWhen the grape harvest starts in Baden and the Württemberg vineyards in September, bakeries pull out trays of Zwiebelkuchen: a thin yeast base piled with slowly softened onions under a sour-cream and egg custard, sprinkled with caraway. It is traditionally eaten warm with Neuer Wein or Federweißer, the young, still-fermenting wine; that is alcoholic, so pour cloudy fresh grape juice or apple juice instead, which tastes just as right. Many bakers add bacon; this version is vegetarian. A common mistake is rushing the onions on a high heat: they need 25 minutes on low until soft and sweet but still pale. Chef's tip: cool the onions before adding the custard, or the eggs start setting in the bowl.
- Total time
- 70 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the dough
- 10 ½ oz plain flour
- ⅛ oz dried yeast
- ¾ cup lukewarm milk
- 3 tbsp sunflower oil
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
For the topping
- 1 ⅜ oz butter
- 2 ¼ lb onionshalved and thinly sliced
- 1 tsp salt
- 7 oz sour cream
- 3 eggs
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 1 tsp caraway seeds
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 pinch grated nutmeg
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (5)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix the 10 ½ oz plain flour, ⅛ oz dried yeast, 1 tsp sugar and ½ tsp salt, add the ¾ cup lukewarm milk and 3 tbsp sunflower oil and knead for 6 minutes until smooth. Cover and leave for 1 hour until doubled.
65 minStep 3: Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan). Roll the dough out to fit a greased 30 × 40 cm tray, pushing it up the sides a little. Let it rise for 15 minutes.
15 minStep 4: Whisk the 7 oz sour cream, 3 eggs, 1 tbsp plain flour, ½ tsp black pepper and 1 pinch grated nutmeg, then stir in the cooled onions. Spread over the dough and sprinkle with the 1 tsp caraway seeds.
4 minStep 5: Bake on the lowest shelf for 35–40 minutes, until the top is set and golden with brown edges and the base sounds crisp when tapped.
38 minStep 6: Cool for 10 minutes before cutting into squares. Serve warm.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does zwiebelkuchen take?
- About 70 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of lukewarm milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Pfälzer SaumagenStuffed pig's stomach
Saumagen is the pride of the Palatinate, served at wine-village festivals and family dinners from the Haardt hills to Ludwigshafen. A cleaned pig's stomach is stuffed with diced pork shoulder, pork sausage meat, potato and carrot seasoned with marjoram and nutmeg, poached slowly, then sliced thick and fried until crusty. The stomach works only as a casing and is ordered from a butcher; if you can't get one, bake the same filling in a covered terrine in a water bath. Serve with sauerkraut and mashed potato. Chef's tip: fill the stomach only three-quarters full, or it bursts as the potatoes swell.
Basque burnt cheesecake
This crustless cheesecake was created in the early 1990s at La Viña, a pintxos bar in the old town of San Sebastián (Donostia) in the Basque Country, and is now famous around the world. It's baked very hot so the top caramelises almost black and the sides rise and crack, while the middle stays soft and creamy, almost runny. There's no base and no water bath, and the rough, rustic look is the point: it's lined with crumpled baking paper. La Viña uses a spoonful of wheat flour; cornflour does the same job and keeps it gluten free. Chef's tip: take it out of the oven while the centre still wobbles like a soft set custard; it firms up as it cools, and if it looks set in the oven, the middle will be dry instead of creamy.
Spanish
Almond cookiesOat, coconut and almond cookies
A big batch of crunchy cookies with rolled oats, coconut, chopped almonds and chunks of cooking chocolate. For a change, use cashew nuts instead of almonds.