German Onion Tart (Zwiebelkuchen)
Ingredients
For the yeast dough
- 125 ml milk
- 20 g fresh yeast
- 300 g all-purpose flour
- 2 egg yolks, medium
- 0.5 tsp salt
- pepper
- 1 pinch sugar
- 1 pinch ground caraway
- 1 pinch ground coriander
- 1 pinch grated lemon zest, unwaxed
- 50 g butter, soft
For the topping
- 1.5 kg onions
- 250 g bacon, as desired
- 1 tbsp butter
- 350 g crème fraîche
- 350 g sour cream
- 5 eggs, medium
- 0.5 tsp grated lemon zest
- 0.5 tsp salt
- pepper
- freshly grated nutmeg
- 0.5 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp dried marjoram
- 0.5 tsp ground caraway
Also needed
- butter and flour for the baking sheet
- 1 bunch chives
Nutrition per piece (12 per baking sheet), approx.: 431 kcal12 g protein33 g carbs28 g fat4 g fiber
Estimates, calculated from the ingredients.
Instructions
- For the yeast dough, warm 125 ml milk slightly in a pot.
- Remove the pot from the stove, crumble 20 g fresh yeast into it and dissolve in the lukewarm milk.
- Put 300 g all-purpose flour, 2 egg yolks, 1 pinch grated lemon zest, 0.5 tsp salt as well as 1 pinch sugar, 1 pinch ground caraway and 1 pinch ground coriander in a mixing bowl.
- Pour the yeast milk over it and knead into a dough with a stand mixer (ad).
- Add 50 g butter (soft) in small pieces and continue kneading until a smooth, elastic dough forms.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for about 45 min.
- In the meantime, peel 1.5 kg onions, halve them and cut into thin strips (see tips & tricks).
- Sweat the onions in a nonstick pan (ad) with 1 tbsp butter over low heat for about 30 min until translucent.
- Grease a deep baking sheet with butter and dust with flour.
- Roll out the dough on a floured work surface, place it on the baking sheet and let it rise for another 15 min.
- Preheat the oven to 175 °C (350 °F), conventional oven (top and bottom heat).
- In the meantime, cut 250 g bacon into thin strips and fry briefly over low heat in a nonstick pan (ad).
- Whisk the 5 eggs and stir until smooth with 350 g crème fraîche and 350 g sour cream.
- Season the egg mixture with 0.5 tsp grated lemon zest, 0.5 tsp salt, pepper, nutmeg, 1 tsp dried marjoram and 0.5 tsp ground caraway.
- Mix the onions, bacon and egg mixture and spread over the dough.
- Bake the onion tart on the middle rack for about 45 min until golden brown.
- Serve lukewarm with 1 bunch chives (finely chopped) and a green salad.
Tips
- The milk for the yeast dough must not get too hot, otherwise the yeast can no longer work and the dough won’t rise.
- Knead the yeast dough really thoroughly and let it rise in a warm place. Only then will it rise properly and become really fluffy.
- To speed up slicing the onions, I use a mandoline slicer with adjustable slice thickness. I peel the onion and cut off just one end. Then I make a cut down the middle toward the uncut end of the onion, but don’t cut all the way through. Now I can hold the end and run the onion over the slicer, which gives me evenly thick half slices.
- The onion tart still tastes wonderful the next day.
Find more kitchen tips from A to Z in our Kitchen A–Z.
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Frequently Asked Questions about German Onion Tart
How can I slice 1.5 kg (3.3 lb) of onions faster?
A mandoline with adjustable thickness saves a lot of time. It gives you evenly thin slices. You’ll find more tricks under how to slice onions quickly.
Can I make the onion tart vegetarian?
Yes, the bacon is optional anyway. Simply leave it out. Marjoram, caraway and lemon zest still add plenty of flavor.
What’s the best way to store the sheet pan onion tart?
Cover the cooled onion tart well and put it in the fridge. It keeps there for 2 to 3 days. In the oven at 180 °C (350 °F) it gets warm and crisp again in about 10 minutes. In the microwave the crust tends to turn soft.
Can I freeze onion tart?
Yes, onion tart freezes well. Cut it into pieces and wrap each one well. It keeps for about 3 months. Bake the pieces from frozen or partly thawed in the oven at 180 °C (350 °F).
