Caramelized Onion Cheddar Bread
 
 
Author:
Serves: 2 loaves
Ingredients
  • 2¼ tsp active dry yeast
  • 1⅓ cup warm water
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 5 cups flour
  • 2 onions, finely sliced
  • 3 cups cheddar cheese, grated
  • 2 tsp fresh thyme or rosemary (optional)
Instructions
  1. Heat a glug of olive oil in a medium frying pan and add sliced onions. Cook on medium heat for 10-15 minutes until softened and then reduce the heat to low or med-low (depending on how hot your element is) and cook for an additional 45 minutes, until sweet and golden. Yep. 45 minutes. We're not taking short-cuts with this one, we're actually 'caramelizing' these onions.
  2. In a large bowl, add yeast, sugar and warm water. Leave 3-4 minutes until foamy. Add milk, olive oil, salt, caramelized onions and 4 cups of flour and mix together until a dough forms. If the dough is a little sticky, continue to dust with the remaining cup of flour. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. I love using my stand mixer for this with the dough hook attached, but kneading by hand is just as effective (and a great arm workout).
  3. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl and let rise until doubled in size. Depending on the warmth of the room, this could take anywhere from 1-2 hours. If you have time for a slow rise, place the dough in the fridge overnight.
  4. Punch down the risen dough, cut into two equal portions and roll each portion out into a large rectangle. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and thyme/rosemary, if using. Roll the rectangle up from the short edge creating a tight 'jelly roll'. Repeat with the second portion of dough.
  5. Using a very sharp knife, cut eat jelly roll of dough in half lengthwise. Pinch the ends of each halved roll together and braid them, one over the other, finishing the other end by pinching that dough together. Lightly grease two loaf pans, or line them with parchment paper. Gently place one dough braid in each loaf pan. Cover with a tea towel and let the dough rise a second time for approximately an hour.
  6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 50 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time so they cook evenly. If the bread is browning too fast, move it to a lower rack in the oven and cover the top with a piece of aluminium foil. Let the loaves cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing them from the pan.
Recipe by Port and Fin at https://portandfin.com/cheese-caramelized-onion-bread/