Zwiebelkuchen

Serves 8

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Proving time: 1 - 2 hours
Cooking time: 55 minutes

Ingredients
1 tsp oil
150g smoked bacon lardons
3 medium onions, thinly sliced
200g smoked bacon, either lardons or streaky cut into smallish pieces
100g gruyere, grated
3 large eggs
200ml double cream
100ml crème fraiche
½ tsp caraway seeds (optional)
½ tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Ingredients for the dough
7g active dried yeast
160ml warm milk
1 tsp sugar
250g strong bread flour
1 tsp salt
60g butter

Equipment needed
23" deep quiche tin or spring form cake tin 

Method
Put the yeast into the warm milk and set to one side until it is foamy, around 10 minutes.

Into a stand mixer put the milk, flour, salt and the butter.  Put a dough hook on and knead until a soft dough ball forms. Cover with cling film and leave to rise until doubled in size.

Meanwhile, put a tsp of oil and your bacon lardons into a frying pan over a medium heat and cook for around 10 minutes to get the bacon crispy and beautiful.  When the bacon is cooked, remove from the pan with a slotted spoon on to 3 slices of kitchen roll.

Turn the heat of the frying pan up to medium high and when the bacon fat it hot, add the onions and a tsp of salt and turn the onions over. Cook for 5-7 minutes until soft and completely cooked through.

When your dough has doubled in size, preheat the oven to 200c.

Lightly flour your worksurface and roll the dough large enough to fit the base your tin and up the sides. Carefully put into your tin and push just above the rim.

Scatter the onions, half of the cheese and the bacon over the base of the pastry.

In a jug beat the eggs, cream and crème fraiche season with a little salt, being careful when adding additional salt because your smoked bacon will be salty.  Pour this into your tart tin leaving only a small lip at the top.  Scatter the caraway seeds if using and the remaining cheese over the top.

Carefully transfer into your oven and bake for 30-40 minutes until the crust is golden, the custard set and the top golden.