A distant, lesser-known relative of the ubiquitous bagel, the bialy is also a yeasty, disc-shaped bread that goes well with butter or cream cheese — but the similarities end there. Crustier on the outside and more chewy and tender on the inside, the bialy (which reputedly originated in the Polish city of Bialystok) also has a pronounced indentation in the middle instead of a hole: the perfect place to put a generous heap of chopped-up, sautéed onion.

Kupel’s Bakery does a fine version of this savory roll, even adding an authentic smattering of poppy seeds to the middle. If you can’t get one fresh-piping-hot out of the oven, bring home a bag (be warned: the potent onion smell isn’t going to win you any friends on a crowded bus) and bake in the oven or toaster for extra-crusty goodness. Excellent with a schmeer or on its own, a bialy will also happily hold all your favorite sandwich fixings together.

Available for 99 cents each at Kupel’s Bakery, located at 421 Harvard Street, in Brookline. Call (617) 566-9528.