Onion Bread

Y'all need to be a little more specific about what you mean by onion bread. There are all sorts of versions, ranging from the onion flatbread sold in Jewish delis, to regular loafs that have onions incorporated in the dough, to things like onion-flavored foccacio and fogasse.

In my 6C loaf of onion bread, I use approx:

1. 3 TBS onion powder
2. 1-2 TBS potato flour
3. 1/3C dried onions that have been rehydrated
4. 1/3C sunflour seeds

You can add onions to just about any bread. For loaf-type breads cooking the onions first seems to work best. Saute a cup of chopped onions in some butter, until tender and golden. Let cool. Then incorporate into the dough as you mix it.

Before playing with additions and amendments, however, it would make sense to get a little bread making experience under your belt, so you understand the process and proceedures. There are many good, basic books on the subject.

ONION-DILL BREAD

Ingredients:
6 cups unbleached, white AP flour; or 3 cups unbleached strong + 3 cups unbleached white flour
2 tbs instant yeast, preferably a commercial type such as SAF or Fermipan
1-1/2 tbs sugar
1 tbs table salt, or 1-1/2 tbs kosher salt
1/3 cup finely chopped scallions, tops and bottoms; or 1/3 cup finely chopped garlic chives; or 1/4 cup snipped chives
1 tbs dried dill, or 1-1/2 tbs choppeed fresh, or less
16 oz small curd cottage cheese
1 cup buttermilk
1-1/2 cup water (about), divided
1-1/2 cup unbleached AP flour for the “bench,” at least

Technique:
Put the first 6 cups of flour, the yeast, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl and mix with a fork, add the onions and dill and mix again until evenly distributed. Add the cottage cheese, the buttermilk, and 1 cup of water. Mix together to form a dough. Add more water if necessary to just barely takes all of the of the flour.

Measure a cup of flour and set it by the board, you’re going to need most of it. If kneading by hand, generously flour your board, then dump the dough on to it. If kneading by machine switch from paddle to dough-hook. Note for machine users: Don’t plan on going anywhere, this is going to require a lot of attention.

Begin kneading the bread. As you knead, the cottage cheese will express some of its moisture and make the dough very wet and sticky – too wet and sticky to knead. Add flour as needed (pun intentional) to keep the dough workable, a little at a time. Continue kneading, adding flour as necessary, until the dough reaches the window-pane stage. Note: It will still be a comparatively damp, soft, sticky dough. Nature of the beast.

Form the dough into a ball and place it in a well-oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with cling wrap and set it in a warm place to rise. Allow the bread to double – about an hour.

Punch down, turn it out, and cut it in halves. The rise will have altered the texture favorably. That is, the dough will still be soft, but less sticky and more workable. Take each half and turn it down until barely firm. Form loaves and place in well greased loaf pans.

Allow the dough to rise and double in their loaf pans, about 45 minutes (the dough will rise faster on its second rise because the dairy products have come to room temp), then punch down. To get the bread’s texture right, and prevent “flying crust,” punch down as follows: Use the back of your hand and your knuckles to press the dough down so a valley runs down the center of the loaf; the valley doesn’t need to be too deep but should be definite.

Proof the loaves, covered, at room temperature until the dough doubles and the top rounds nicely – about 40 minutes; or proof retarded, overnight, in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 350. Bake the loaves for 1 hour until nicely browned. When done, they will sound hollow if thumped.

Alternatively, separate the unbaked dough into 32 balls (1/2 x 1/2 x 1/2 x 1/2), and bake as rolls on a sheet or in tins, until brown. About 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool in their loaf pans until the pans themselves are cool enough to handle without gloves. Remove the loaves form the loaf pans and allow the loaves to cool and dry on racks at least 2 hours – if the aroma doesn’t drive you insane first.

An excellent bread for most purposes -- especially good: As a partner to soup or stew; With cream cheese (and smoked fish!); Any Scandinavian style sandwich; As buttered toast; etc.; Great as rolls.

BDL

PS.  This recipe is original with me.  You may share it only on condition you attribute it to me, Boar D. Laze.

Quote:

Originally Posted by good chef's son 

sunflower seeds? kernals or whole seed? and i was looking for a loaf to answer your question something with real onions in the dough i love cooking with onions hahaha

Kernels aka hulled!