Zwiebelkuchen
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
For the topping
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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 2: Meanwhile melt the 1 ⅜ oz butter in a wide pan, add the 2 ¼ lb onions and 1 tsp salt, cover and cook over a low heat for 25 minutes, stirring now and then, until very soft and translucent but not browned. Uncover for the last 5 minutes to steam off the liquid. Leave to cool.
30 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).
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