Need An Incredible Weekend Baking Project?

In the "Ask Bittman" Q&As we've done on Facebook over the last few weeks, there have been a lot of questions about baking bread. What's the best loaf for a first-time baker? How do I perfect No-Knead bread? How much whole wheat flour can you substitute for all-purpose? What's the deal with malted bread flour? And so on.

Clearly, a lot of you now have a bit of a bread-baking itch that you're trying to scratch, and are hungry (ravenous?) for some really satisfying baking projects. Well, I've got a good one for you: Bialys.

For the uninitiated (or people who didn't grow up Jewish on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in the 1950s), bialys are a close relative of bagels, and, in my humble opinion, they're every bit as good. The dough is nearly identical; the major difference is that where bagels are boiled before baking, these are just baked, which gives their crust a matte (as opposed to shiny) look, and also makes them easier. Instead of a hole in the middle, bialys are indented and filled with caramelized onions, then (sometimes) sprinkled with poppy seeds and salt and cooked in a hot oven until brown and crusty.

I can't even tell you how much of a treat it is to eat one of these right from the oven. Not to mention it's so rare to find a great one out in the world (and I mean always; not just in this baffling time) that the best way to get the true experience is to make them yourself. If you have the time this weekend (and the flour), I promise you won't regret it.

—Mark

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Talk To Me, Goose!

Questions, comments, brilliant suggestions? Just want to share the recipe for your grandma's potato salad, or your mom's meatloaf, or your uncle Drew's three-day 100-percent rye loaf (yes, please)? Don't hesitate to reach out anytime.

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