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Pletzel

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For the Jewish neighborhood in Paris, or the public square in Munich, see pletzl and platzl.
Not to be confused with Pretzel.
Pletzel
TypeCracker or flatbread
Region or stateUnited States
Created byAshkenazi Jews

Pletzel, platzel or pletzl (Yiddish: פלעצל), also known as onion board or onion flat, is a type of Jewish flatbread or flat roll similar to focaccia.

Overview

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an oven at Kossar's Bialy bakery which is used to bake pletzels as well

In Bialystok, Poland, where the pletzel likely originated, it was known as Bialystoken tzibele pletzel kuchen, or "Bialystock onion pletzel cakes" in Yiddish. They are related to the bialy, but larger, sweeter, thinner, harder, and flatter. [1][2][3] In Eastern Europe, they were sold as a street food from pushcarts.[4] They are also called flam pletzel or "flame cakes."[5] In Yiddish and Germanic languages, pletzel literally refers to a small town square, perhaps inspiring the name for the square of dough with onions and poppy seeds imaginatively invoking a plaza.[6] An American Jewish immigrant autobiography written in Yiddish in 1936 mentions eating pletzel.[7] They became common in the Lower East Side Jewish community in New York City, where they became a staple food alongside bagels and bialys.[1] They could also be found in the Jewish East End of London.[8][9]

Baked with onions and poppy seeds, they may also be served with goose fat or schmaltz, pot cheese, butter, chopped liver, egg salad, or cream cheese, as a spread (schmear).[3][10][4] They also can be served with meats or soup.[4] Pletzlach were commonly sold in American Jewish bakeries and Jewish dairy restaurants until the end of the 20th century, and have become considerably rarer, but can still be found.[4][11] The pletzel may be obtained at Jewish bakeries such as Kossar's Bialys of the Lower East Side, or Zabar's.[12][13][3]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Nathan, Joan (2017-04-04). King Solomon's Table: A Culinary Exploration of Jewish Cooking from Around the World: A Cookbook. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-385-35114-0.
  2. ^ Amster, Linda (2003-09-15). The New York Times Jewish Cookbook: More Than 825 Traditional and Contemporary Recipes from Around the World. Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-312-29093-1.
  3. ^ a b c Nathan, Joan (2004-12-01). "Lights of Life, and Food of Memory". The New York Times. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
  4. ^ a b c d Marks, Gil (2010-11-17). Encyclopedia of Jewish Food. Wiley. p. 470. ISBN 978-0-470-94354-0.
  5. ^ Glezer, Maggie (2004-01-01). A Blessing of Bread: The Many Rich Traditions of Jewish Bread Baking Around the World. Artisan Books. ISBN 978-1-57965-210-4.
  6. ^ Schwartz, Arthur R. (2008). Arthur Schwartz's Jewish Home Cooking: Yiddish Recipes Revisited. Ten Speed Press. ISBN 978-1-58008-898-5.
  7. ^ Peleg, Kristine (2004). "The Original Text of Rachel Calof's Memoir". American Jewish History. 92 (1): 103–112. ISSN 0164-0178. JSTOR 23887433.
  8. ^ Green, Joseph (1991). A Social History of the Jewish East End in London, 1914-1939: A Study of Life, Labour, and Liturgy. E. Mellen Press. ISBN 978-0-7734-9770-2.
  9. ^ White, Jerry (2011-06-08). Rothschild Buildings: Life in an East-End Tenement Block 1887 - 1920. Random House. ISBN 978-1-4464-8306-0.
  10. ^ Enjoy, Enjoy!. World Publishing Company. 1960.
  11. ^ Hertzberg, Jeffrey; Francois, Zoe (2016-11-10). Five Minute Bread: The revolutionary new baking method: no bread machine, no kneading!. Ebury Publishing. p. 250. ISBN 978-1-4464-4668-3.
  12. ^ Leader, Daniel; Chattman, Lauren (2011). Simply Great Breads: Sweet and Savory Yeasted Treats from America's Premier Artisan Baker. Taunton Press. ISBN 978-1-60085-297-8.
  13. ^ Colleen McKinney. "Profile: Kossar's Bialys". New York Magazine. Archived from the original on July 16, 2006. Retrieved December 28, 2006.
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