Bread with cracklings and red onion
Buns with Cracklings and Red Onion
The first time I saw the recipe at Panacris, I thought it was a good idea for those mornings when I feel like playing with dough. I tried it myself, but in a smaller version, as individual buns. They turned out well on my first attempt and convinced me to make them a few more times, especially for an evening snack or a road trip. They are good both warm and cold.
Quick Info
Total time: about 1 hour and 45 minutes
Effective preparation time: 30-40 minutes
Rising time: 25 minutes (two sessions)
Baking time: 35-40 minutes
Servings: 12-15 buns
Difficulty: medium
Recipe type: stuffed bread, hearty appetizer
Ingredients
For the dough:
150 ml milk
200 ml water
50 ml oil
25 g fresh yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
600 g flour
For the filling:
1 small to medium red onion
200 g cracklings
1 teaspoon Hot & Spicy seasoning (or another preferred mix)
cumin, for flavor
For brushing:
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon milk
cumin, for sprinkling on top
Preparation method
1. Prepare the starter. Crush the yeast in a bowl, add the sugar, and mix until the yeast liquefies. Pour in the slightly warm milk and a handful of flour (from the total amount). Mix well, cover the bowl, and let the starter rise for 10 minutes until it doubles in volume.
2. Meanwhile, dissolve the salt in the warm water completely.
3. Gradually incorporate the risen starter, salted water, remaining flour, and oil into a large bowl. Initially mix with a wooden spoon, then knead by hand until you obtain an elastic dough, not too hard. If necessary, sprinkle a little more flour on the table.
4. Cover the dough with a clean towel and let it rise for 15 minutes. Fresh yeast acts quite quickly, so there's no need to let it rise longer.
5. For the filling, peel the onion and chop it into suitable pieces. Put the onion and cracklings into a meat grinder and grind them together. You can also use a food processor, but the texture should not be a fine paste. Finally, sprinkle the Hot & Spicy seasoning on top to taste, along with some cumin.
6. Roll out the risen dough on a floured surface. Use a rolling pin to flatten it into a sheet about one finger thick.
7. Spread the mixture of cracklings and onion over the entire surface of the dough sheet. Gently press it down with the back of a spoon to ensure the filling is evenly distributed. Grate a little cumin on top.
8. Roll the sheet of dough tightly like a roulade. Cut the formed roll into slices about 2 cm thick.
9. Place the rounds on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, leaving space between them (they will rise a lot while baking).
10. Let the buns sit on the tray for another 10 minutes to rise a bit more before baking.
11. Mix the egg yolk with the milk and brush each bun on top with a pastry brush. Sprinkle with cumin.
12. Place the tray in a preheated oven at 180 degrees and bake for 35-40 minutes. If you notice they are browning too much towards the end, reduce the temperature a bit or cover with parchment paper.
Why I make this recipe often
I like to prepare them because they don't require any special techniques. The dough rises quickly, and the filling of cracklings and onion gives a good taste. The buns remain soft the next day, can be packed for lunch, or served as a snack.
Tips and Variations
Tips
If the yeast doesn’t rise, it’s a sign that it’s not good or the liquids were too hot. Always check the temperature.
Don’t put salt directly over the yeast, or you risk it not rising.
If the dough is too soft, add a little more flour, but don’t make it too hard.
Don’t cut the roll too thin; the buns turn out better when they have some thickness.
Substitutions
Cracklings can be replaced with crispy bacon if you don’t have any.
Red onion can be swapped for yellow onion.
The Hot & Spicy mix is not mandatory; you can use pepper or other spices you like.
Variations
You can add a little cheese or salty cheese along with the filling for a different flavor.
If you don’t want rolls, roll out the dough, place the filling on one half, cover, and cut into squares or triangles.
Omit cumin if you don’t like it, or replace it with sesame seeds.
Serving Ideas
They are good as a simple snack, for breakfast, or alongside a clear soup.
They are also great for packing, especially since they don’t dry out easily.
They can be served on a platter at a festive meal as a savory appetizer.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can the buns be made only with onion filling, without cracklings?
Yes, but the texture and taste will be different. The buns will be less filling, and the dough may remain fluffier, not being as fatty.
2. Can they be frozen?
Yes, after they have cooled completely, they can be placed in the freezer, preferably in well-sealed bags. When thawing, heat them for a few minutes in the oven.
3. Can I use dry yeast?
Yes, for 25 g of fresh yeast, use 7-8 g of dry yeast, but check the instructions on the package for incorporation.
4. Can I put the filling inside, like little packets, not as a roulade?
Yes, the dough is quite versatile. Divide it into pieces, roll them out, put in the filling, and wrap them like buns.
5. Can I use another type of oil?
You can also use sunflower or canola oil. Olive oil will give a slightly different taste.
Nutritional Values
Approximately, for one bun (out of 15 pieces), you have about:
Calories: 180-200 kcal
Proteins: 5-6 g
Fats: 8-10 g (mostly from cracklings and oil)
Carbohydrates: 23-25 g
Values may vary, especially depending on how large the rounds are and the proportion of filling.
Storage and Reheating
The buns remain soft the next day if stored in a towel or a closed box. They last 2-3 days at room temperature. For reheating, you can put them in the oven or on a pan for a few minutes, but they are also good cold. I do not recommend storing them in the fridge, as the dough becomes slightly gummy. If you want to keep them longer, freezing is a practical option.
The recipe I was inspired by is this: first, the starter for the dough. We crumble the yeast and mix it with sugar until dissolved, then add warm milk and a handful of flour. We homogenize the starter, cover the bowl it's in, and let it rise until it doubles in volume, about 10 minutes. We heat the water and dissolve the salt in it, then we start pouring it over the risen starter, alternating with flour and oil. We knead a dough that is not too hard, first in the bowl, then on a floured work surface. We cover the dough and let it rise for 15 minutes; since the yeast is fresh, it will rise very quickly. We peel the onion and chop it into pieces, which we pass through the meat grinder along with the cracklings. We roll out the risen dough, using a rolling pin, on a floured surface, into a thin sheet about an inch thick. We spread the dough with the mixture of cracklings and onion, sprinkle a few spices on top, and add caraway seeds. We roll the dough and cut it into 2 cm rounds, which we place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, leaving enough space between them as they will double in size. We let the rounds sit on the tray for 10 minutes to increase in volume. We mix the egg yolk with the milk and brush the risen rounds on top. We sprinkle caraway seeds over the rounds, then place the tray in the oven and bake the buns at 180 degrees for 35-40 minutes. They turned out very tasty and fluffy, but I made a mistake by browning them too much and slightly ruined their appearance.
Ingredients: For the dough: 150 ml milk, 200 ml water, 50 ml oil, 25 g yeast, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 600 g flour. For the filling: 1 red onion, 200 g cracklings, 1 pinch of Hot & Spicy spices, cumin. For brushing: 1 egg yolk, 1 teaspoon milk, cumin.
