German Onion Tart
Whenever the first bottles of “Federweißer” appear in stores, one knows that autumn is around the corner. Autumn season always makes me nostalgic: Days growing shorter, nights turning colder but the golden light in between makes it all worthwhile. Federweißer is a partially fermented young wine that is only available in the autumn for a few fleeting weeks when the grapes are freshly harvested. And nothing pairs with it better than a slice (or two) of traditional German Onion Tart (Zwiebelkuchen) – a dish that perfectly captures the bittersweet taste of the season.
4
servings45
minutes20
minutes30
minutes1
hour35
minutesIngredients
- DOUGH
250 g 250 wheat flour
2 tsp 2 baking powder
4 tbsp 4 milk
4 tbsp 4 neutral-tasting oil
150 g 150 quark
1 tsp 1 salt
- FILLING
800–1000 g 800–1000 onions
2 tbsp 2 neutral-tasting oil
2 tbsp 2 butter
1/2 bunch 1/2 parsley
4 4 eggs
200 g 200 double cream
50–100 g 50–100 grated cheese (e. g. Gouda)
1 pinch 1 grated nutmeg (optional)
caraway (optional)
bacon pieces (optional)
salt
fresh black pepper
Directions
- For the dough, place all the ingredients in a large bowl and knead into a soft, elastic dough for 6–8 minutes using the dough hook of a stand mixer or by hand. Store the dough in the refrigerator in an airtight container or cover in cling film.
- In the meantime, for the filling, peel the onions, cut them in half, and slice them into thin half-rings. Heat the oil and butter in a non-stick pan. Add the onions and sauté over low heat for 25–30 minutes until they turn nicely golden brown. Adding bacon pieces to the pan is optional. Stir from time to time so they do not burn. Season the browned onions with a pinch of salt and remove from the heat.
- Wash and dry the parsley, pick the leaves, and roughly chop them. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and cream. Add the grated cheese – the more the better – and chopped parsley, then season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
- Preheat the oven to 200 °C top and bottom heat (180 °C fan). Grease a springform pan (26 cm Ø) or line it with baking paper. Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface. Roll it out slightly larger than the springform pan. Lay it in the pan and form a rim. Trim off any excess dough with a knife so that you have an even edge.
- Combine the egg-cream mixture with the cooled onions. Spread the mixture over the dough and smooth the surface. Bake on the middle rack for 30–35 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve. Guten Appetit!
- I recommend serving the onion tart with chilled “Federweißer”. Its lightness and sweetness are a great pairing for the tart.
Equipment
- Stand mixer with dough hook
- Non-stick pan
- Springform pan (26 cm Ø)
- Mixing bowls
- Rolling pin
Notes
- I recommend serving the onion tart with chilled “Federweißer”. Its lightness and sweetness are a great pairing for the tart.
- For a vegetarian version, simply leave out the bacon pieces.