German Onion Pie (Zwiebelkuchen)

German onion pie known as Zwiebelkuchen is show on top of a cutting board, with bacon bits and a garnish of chives.

German Onion Pie (Zwiebelkuchen)

Zwiebelkuchen, a deep dish German onion pie is a popular delicacy during autumn harvest but also enjoyed year round. Make your own crust or use store bought. For a vegetarian version skip the bacon.

4.80 from 5 votes

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Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 55

Total Time: 2 45

Servings: servings

Calories: 361kcal

Author: Milena Perrine

Ingredients

Yeast Dough for Crust*

1 packet dry active yeast
⅔ cup milk lukewarm
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt*** or to taste
¼ cup butter at room temperature

For Filling

4 oz bacon diced** (preferably smoked, leaner, thick cut)
1 lb onions about 2-3 medium sized
2 tablespoon butter for cooking the onions + 1 tablespoon butter (for optional topping before pie is baked)
1 tablespoon flour
2 eggs
½ cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon salt or to taste***
pinch of nutmeg optional
caraway seed to taste

Instructions

YEAST DOUGH

In the bowl of a stand up mixer combine the yeast with the sugar and about half of the milk. Stir and let activate in a warm place. Anywhere from 5 to 20 mins, as necessary.
Attach the dough hook to mixer, add flour, salt and the rest of the milk to the activated yeast. Knead on low for a minute, then stop and add the butter. Knead again until a soft dough ball forms. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot, until doubled in size.
On a clean, lightly floured surface roll the dough into a round or rectangular shape sized to fit your baking dish. (Use a 9-10 inches diameter round dish or 9x9 square or about 9x10 rectangular dish).

Filling

In a pan over medium heat cook the diced bacon until it renders most of its fat. Remove to paper towel lined plate and let it cool down. Discard excess rendered fat from the pan, leave a coating or so.
Peel and thinly slice the onions. In the same pan melt 2 tablespoon butter, add the onions and cook until soft. Partially cover the pan with a lid to help them sweat. Once soft, add 1 tablespoon flour, mix and cook for 1 more minute. Remove from heat and let cool down.
Assemble the filling only after you have rolled out the dough and are ready to place it inside the baking dish.
Preheat oven to 390 - 400 F.
In a bowl whisk eggs and cream, season with salt (liberally). Add nutmeg if using. Fold in the cooked onions and most of the bacon (reserve about 1 tbsp).
Line your baking dish with parchment paper, place the rolled dough and adjust it around the edges (how high the sides will go depends on the size of the dish) and add the filling. Sprinkle with caraway seeds, the reserved bacon and add a few flakes of butter.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the filling is nicely set and fully cooked and the crust golden brown. Allow the onion pie to cool down a tad bit, slice and serve warm.

Notes

*Alternatively use store-bought pizza dough or pie crust. Make sure you have enough to cover a 9 to 10 inch round dish or 9x9 or 9x10 square or rectangular dish (with plenty to fold up the sides of either one).

**If you skip it for a vegetarian version (popular in many areas of Germany) you do not have to increase the amount of onion. Simply omit the bacon.

***Different brands of salt have different densities and therefore will bring different degrees of saltiness to offset the sweetness of the heavy cream. Some recipe testers have found the filling to be on the salty side. If the bacon is very salty use less salt.

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