The Good Crust's High-Volume Perfectly Baked Bialy Recipe

What is a bialy?

A bialy is a chewy roll bearing similarity to the bagel. Unlike a bagel, which is boiled before baking, a bialy is simply baked. Instead of a hole in the middle, it has a depression. Before baking, the depression is filled with ingredients

Why are bialys so popular in food service programs?

3oz and 4oz frozen dough balls have become the most popular products we sell to school food service programs because they can be prepped and cooked in high volume (even with small teams or small spaces).

• Bialys can be placed (frozen) on baking sheets, thawed overnight in the fridge, brought to room temperature, filled with ingredients, and baked on the same baking sheet

• The Good Crust qualifies for the Maine Department of Education’s Local Foods Fund (meaning schools can be rebated $1 for every $3 they spend)

• 1oz of our dough is equivalent to 1 serving of whole grain for students, so a 3oz dough ball easily exceeds students’ daily whole grains requirement

How do you prep and cook bialys?

From freezer to baking sheet to fridge

• Place frozen bialys on a baking sheet and allow to thaw overnight in the fridge

• Spray your baking sheet to ensure the dough balls don’t stick (with optional parchment paper)

• If time allows, let dough balls rest at room temperature for an hour before stretching dough

Coat bialys with olive oil, shape the bialy depression, and Pre-heat oven to 500°

• Press two fingers on each hand into the center of the dough and create a shallow depression

Fill bialy depression with ingredients

• You can add whatever ingredients you’d like. Bialys are versatile, and here are some of our favorites (inspired by Nutrition Directors throughout Maine):

  • Pizza Roll: USDA cheese on the dough first (because it browns under high heat), fresh tomato sauce, garlic

  • Maine Apple & Cheddar Roll: Pineland Farms cheddar cheese curd, chopped Maine apple, bacon

  • Maine Blueberry and Oat: Wyman Maine Blueberries, Maine Grains’ Roll Oats

  • Sausage, Egg, and Cheese: Local pork sausage, eggs, USDA cheese

  • Garlic Pazzo: USDA cheese (on dough first), fresh chopped garlic in EVOO, honey drizzle

  • Peach, Almond, Local Blue Cheese: Maine peaches, sliced almond, local blue cheese

Add baking sheet directly to the oven, cook at 500°, and enjoy

• Cook for 6-8 minutes (and check for intended level of brownness on the dough)