German Onion Pie (Zwiebelkuchen)

What is Zwiebelkuchen?

Zwiebelkuchen is a savory German onion pie. It is prepared with a crust filled with a mixture of eggs, cream, cooked onions and frequently bacon. Essentially a hybrid between a deep dish pizza and a quiche. Flavor wise it is remarkably similar to Flammkuchen.

In direct translation from German the meaning of the specialty is onion cake (Zwiebel=onion and Kuchen=cake).  

The traditional shape is round but modern versions include sheet style rectangular onion pies. 

Ingredients for Zwiebelkuchen

Crust. Here we made a traditional Schwäbischer Zwiebelkuchen (the style popular in Southwestern Bavaria) so the crust is a yeast dough with milk (yeast, milk, sugar, salt, flour, butter). Alternatively, you can use store-bought pizza dough or pie crust. 

Onions. For the star ingredient of this dish you can choose yellow onions or an even sweeter variety such as vidalia. Red onions work too. 

Eggs. Classic binder used in the filling. 

Cream. Some regional versions especially those from areas near the French boarder use creme fraiche while in other areas heavy cream is added. You can substitute one for the other in the same quantity in this recipe.

Butter. Added both to the crust dough and scattered on top of the assembled onion pie before baking. Skip the latter if you do not wish your Zwiebelkuchen to be too rich.

Bacon. High-quality, thick cut, lightly smoked bacon is the traditional choice. 

Flour. Besides being used in the crust a bit of flour is added to the cooked down onions to absorb some of their moisture and to later on add as a thickening agent in the custard.

Seasonings. Salt is used liberally to flavor the filling. Regarding spices, caraway seed is a traditional option, famous for its digestive benefits. If you like nutmeg add a pinch or two to the custard. 

Garnish. Frequently chopped chives or German thyme are used as a garnish, a dollop of sour cream is complementary as well. 

How to Make German Onion Pie

Step 1. Make the dough for the crust.

• To make the crust activate yeast with a bit of milk and sugar, then add flour, salt, more milk and butter and using the dough hook of a stand up mixer knead into a dough.
• Let rest covered at a warm temperature until the dough rises enough to double in size before you roll it out.  

Skip entirely if using store bought pizza-dough or pie crust.

Step 2. Prep the Bacon and Onions for the Filling

• Cut the bacon and onions as shown, set the onions aside and over medium heat cook the bacon until most of the fat is rendered.
• Remove to a paper towel lined plate and let cool down.

• Next, melt butter in the same pan and cook down the onions (it helps if you partially cover them to retain more of the moisture).
• After a while add flour, mix, remove the onions from the heat and allow them to cool down. 

Step 3. Mix the filling, assemble and bake.

• Whisk eggs and cream, add salt, cooked down onions and most of the bacon bits. Mix together.
• Line your baking dish with parchment paper, arrange the crust and add the filling. 
• Sprinkle with caraway seed, a few bacon bits and add flakes of butter. Bake. 

TIPS: (1)You don’t have to use parchment paper to line the baking dish of your choice, but using it certainly makes things much easier and is common practice in Germany. (2) The height of the crust will depend on the baking dish. The smaller it is  the higher up the crust will reach along the sides.

Serving & Pairing German Onion Pie

Zwiebelkuchen is best served warm. A slice can be presented very casually as finger food or served plated, sometimes accompanied with sour cream and fresh herb garnish.

During the autumn wine festivals the most popular beverage pairing is a white new wine known as Federweisser. Riesling is also a favored option. Various German lagers such as Pils, Helles, Marzen, and Dunkel are another well-loved alternative.

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