This Week's Recipe: Onion Bread

Why Onion Bread?

Baking bread at home is not as tricky as most think. People relish in the art of baking cakes, cup cakes, slices and biscuits at home but often opt out when yeast is involved.

Instead I relish in the art of baking with yeast. Unlike a cake, breads are versatile to make. I make the dough (this can be as simple or as complicated as you like depending on what bread you are making), go out for a coffee with a friend, leaving the dough to do its thing while I am out and am rewarded with a lovely risen dough on my return.

I then knock it back – the perfect stress relief punching the fluffy dough with your fists until it is flat again – flavour it as I please and leave it for a few 15 minutes to rise a little before baking.

Bread making for me is a rewarding baking; as you see exactly where your effort lies making it far more rewarding in the eating later.

This bread is fantastic warm from the oven with a good smear of butter, or served with cheese and dips. It is also good for dunking into soup!

Feel free to be creative with any flavour combinations.

Ingredients
25g butter
1 onion, sliced
100ml white wine
500g strong white bread flour
1 ½ packets (or 15g)dried yeast
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon caster sugar
2 tablespoon olive oil
about 250ml luke warm water

Method
Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat, add the onions and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook for 15 minutes or until the onions are soft. Add 100 ml white wine and simmer for 10 minutes or until the wine has evaporated. Remove from the frying pan and leave to cool.

Meanwhile sift the flour, salt and sugar together in a large mixing bowl. Add the yeast to 100 ml water and stir until dissolved and foamy on the surface.

Make a well in the middle of the flour. Add the yeast and water and olive oil slowly, with your hands, drawing the flour in towards the well until all is incorporated. Adding enough water to make a soft dough.

Transfer to a floured dry surface and knead for about 10 minutes or until the dough is soft and elastic and doesn't stick to the surface.

Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a damp tea towel. Leave to rise in a draught free place for at least on hour or until doubled in size.
When the dough has doubled in size, using your fists, punch the dough to deflate. Add your onions and fold the dough to incorporate.

Oil a large baking tray and press the bread out. Cover with a tea towel and leave for 15 minutes, or until the dough starts to look risen.

Meanwhile preheat the oven to 200°C.

Bake the bread for 10-20 minutes, or until the top is golden and the the bottom sounds hollow when tapped.

Serve straight from the oven or leave to cool on a rack and serve.

Makes 1 30x20cm loaf.

Bon Appetite.