Polish-Style Bialys

Combine bread flour, yeast, salt, and water in a bowl to create the foundation of your dough. Using a wooden spoon, mix until you achieve a very wet, soft, and sticky consistency, which is ideal for the dough. Cover it and let it rest at room temperature for a minimum of 12 hours to allow the ingredients to meld together.

When you're ready to proceed, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add sliced onion and salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion becomes soft, sweetens, and turns a golden brown color. This should take around 10 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and combine it with bread crumbs, 2 teaspoons of poppy seeds, chopped green onion, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Mix everything together and let it cool until you're ready to use it.

Uncover the dough, which should be bubbly and active. Use a spatula to scrape it away from the sides of the bowl, then transfer it onto a floured work surface. Lightly dust the top with flour and use your hands to gently press the dough flat. Divide it into 8 equal portions, shape each one into a ball, and use a bit of flour as needed to prevent sticking. Gently stretch each ball into a ring shape, making sure the center is very thin but not torn. Place the dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone liner, and dust the tops with flour. Cover them with a dish towel and let them proof until they've doubled in size, which should take around 45 to 60 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C), which is quite hot, so be careful not to burn yourself.

Flour your fingers and pick up one dough ball. Use a gentle pressing motion to form it into a ring shape, making sure the center is very thin but not torn. Repeat this process with the remaining dough balls.

Fill each ring with no more than a rounded teaspoon of onion-poppy seed filling, then gently press the filling up the sides toward the outer rings. You'll have some extra filling left over, but that's okay.

Spray each bialy with a small amount of cold water and sprinkle some poppy seeds over the top.

Bake the bialys in the center of your preheated oven until they're puffed and nicely browned, which should take around 12 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes before serving.