Zwiebelkuchen

Zwiebelkuchen

Zwiebelkuchen in a sheet pan
Type	Pie
Place of origin	Germany
Main ingredients	Yeast or leavened dough, onions, bacon, cream, caraway seeds
Media: Zwiebelkuchen

Close up showing cooked onions on the surface of a zwiebelkuchen

Zwiebelkuchen (German pronunciation: [ˈt͜sviːbl̩ˌkuːxn̩], lit. 'onion cake') is a savory German onion cake made of steamed onions, diced bacon, cream, and caraway seeds on either a yeast or leavened dough. It is not to be confused with Flammkuchen, a similar dish that is more dry.

History

Most of Zwiebelkuchen's history is unknown, but has been mentioned as early as the 19th century and originates from Baden-Württemberg.

Zwiebelkuchen is a favored autumn dish commonly enjoyed at wine festivals. It is particularly popular in Germany's wine-producing regions, including Thuringia, Palatinate, Hessia, Franconia, Swabia, Alsace, and the Rhine and Moselle areas. People enjoy drinking "neuer Wein" with it. "Neuer Wein" is slightly fermented grape juice, before the squeezed grapes turn into proper wine to be bottled.

Preparation

Instant yeast and sugar are combined with lukewarm milk and left to sit for 10 minutes. In a separate bowl, flour and salt are mixed together, followed by the addition of the yeast-milk mixture and vegetable oil. The resulting dough is kneaded for 5 minutes. The dough is then placed in a large, greased bowl, which is coated with cooking oil or nonstick spray. The bowl is covered with aluminum foil and placed in a warm environment for 45 minutes. Alternatively, plastic wrap or a kitchen towel can be used for covering.

Onions are peeled and sliced into thin rings, while bacon is cut into cubes. Vegetable oil is heated in a frying pan, and the bacon cubes are cooked until crispy. Once the bacon is crisp, the sliced onions are added to the pan. The heat is then reduced to low or medium, allowing the onions to cook until translucent.

Eggs and sour cream are placed in a bowl to be mixed and added to the onion-bacon mix, then seasoned with pepper, salt, and caraway seeds. The oven is preheated to 200 °C, and the baking tray is greased with butter to prepare for the oven. Upon the dough rising, it's kneaded again on flour before being rolled into a thin rectangular shape. It's then lifted in the baking form and the corners are pressed into, creating rims. The onion mixture is spread over the yeast base and baked in the oven for 35 minutes. After baking, the dish is left to cool slightly before serving. Optional garnishing with freshly chopped chives adds a final touch.

See also

• Flammkuchen, similar Alsatian and south-western German dish
• List of onion dishes

External links

• Recipe for a Mainzer Zwiebelkuchen (German) Archived 19 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine
• Recipe for a Quiche-like Zwiebelkuchen (German)
• Media related to Zwiebelkuchen at Wikimedia Commons