The sweetness of the golden fried onions makes this caramelised onion bread absolutely irresistible. Perfect with French onion soup, salads or cheese. Makes one loaf.
Ingredients
- 50g butter
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 280ml water
- 1 tbsp clear honey
- 450g strong white bread flour
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1½ tsp easy-blend dried yeast
Method
- Melt the butter in a frying plan on the hotplate and transfer to the simmer plate. Sauté the onions until they are golden. Don’t be tempted to fry on too high a heat. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the onions to cool slightly.
- Place a sieve over the bread machine pan and tip the contents of the frying plan into the sieve. Squash the onions so the juices flow into the bread machine. Set the onions aside to cool completely.
- Add the water and honey to the bread machine. Reverse the order in the bread machine if your instructions tell you to add dry ingredients first.
- Sprinkle over the flour, covering the liquid. Place the salt and pepper in separate corners. Make a shallow indent in the centre of the flour and add the yeast. Set your bread machine to a basic dough setting or ideally basic raisin dough setting. Press start. Add the onions when the machine beeps in the last five minutes of kneading.
- Lightly flour a baking sheet. When the cycle has finished, remove from the bread pan and place on a lightly-floured surface.
- Knock the dough back gently and shape into a ball. Place on the floured baking sheet and cover with oiled cling-film. Leave to rise for about 45 minutes.
- Slash the top in a cross on the top of the loaf. Place in the top oven at a hot temperature (200ºC) on the bottom shelf. Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden. It’s worth checking at 30 minutes as mine cooked quite quickly. Turn out on to a wire rack to cool.
Making by hand
- If you are making by hand complete step 1 (above) and set aside.
- Dissolve the yeast in the warm water in a bowl. Add the wet ingredients (honey and juice from the onions).
- Add the dry ingredients salt, pepper and most of the flour. Beat in a mixer or by hand until you have a fairly sticky dough. Then add the remaining flour a little at a time until you have a soft dough that comes away from the side of the bowl cleanly.
- Turn the dough out on to a lightly-floured board and knead lightly until you have a light stretchy dough. Add the onions and knead until combined.
- Continue from step 6.