Caramelized Onion Bread Recipes

CARAMELIZED ONION AND BACON PULL-APART BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Heat a large skillet with a lid over medium-high heat and add the bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is golden brown, about 9 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a plate using a slotted spoon. Add the onions to the skillet and cook, covered, stirring occasionally and scraping up the stuck bits on the bottom of the pan as needed, until the onions release their juices and are caramelized, golden and soft, about 30 minutes. (If the onions begin to brown before they soften, stir in a tablespoon water, lower the heat and return to cooking.)
• Combine the butter, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt and some pepper in a medium bowl. Stir in the onions until the butter melts and becomes saucy.
• Meanwhile, with a large serrated knife, shave 1/4 inch off the bottom crust of the bread.. Make 1-inch wide crosshatch cuts on the top of the bread, three-quarters of the way through to the bottom. Put the bread on the prepared baking sheet.
• Spoon 3/4 of the onion mixture into all of the slits. Mix together the Gouda and mozzarella in a small bowl, then stuff three-quarters of the cheese inside all of the slits. Spoon the remaining onion mixture on top, followed by the remaining cheese. (The bread will be very stuffed and messy.) Cover the bread loosely with foil and bake until the filling is warm and the cheese is melted, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a platter or cutting board and top with the bacon and parsley. Serve immediately.

CARAMELIZED ONION TOASTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Heat 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, chopped anchovies, thyme, salt and pepper and cook until the onions are sweet and golden brown, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, holding the knife parallel to the cutting board, shave off the rounded top and bottom of the baguette with a serrated knife so that it lies flat. Then cut the baguette in half lengthwise to make 2 long slices of bread. Brush both sides of each with the remaining 4 tablespoons butter.
• When the onions are cooked, put the bread slices on a baking sheet and spread with the onions. Garnish with olives and drizzle with olive oil. Place in the oven and bake until the bread is crispy, about 15 minutes. Shower with Parmigiano. Cut into pieces and serve hot.
• Serve the onion toasts alongside an assortment of Italian meats.

CHEESY CARAMELIZED ONION SKILLET BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a 10-in. cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet, toast caraway seeds until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove and set aside. In the same skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until softened, 5-6 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook until deep golden brown, 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in salt; remove from the heat and cool slightly. Sprinkle cheese over onions in skillet. Place melted butter and caraway seeds in a shallow bowl. Cut each biscuit into fourths. Dip biscuit pieces in butter mixture; place in a single layer over onion mixture in skillet. Bake until puffed and golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Cool in skillet 5 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. If desired, sprinkle with thyme. Serve warm.

CARAMELIZED ONION BREAD

Steps:

• To prepare the sponge, place the water in a mixing bowl.
• Sprinkle the yeast over the water, stir in and let sit for 2 minutes.
• Mix in the 1 cup bread flour.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit overnight or for 14-16 hours.
• To prepare the onions, heat the olive oil and sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat for 1 minute.
• Add the onions, stir well, and saute, stirring occasionally, for 10-12 minutes or until browned and caramelized.
• Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool.
• To prepare the dough, place the water in the bowl of an electric mixer or in a mixing bowl.
• Sprinkle the yeast over the top, stir in, and let sit for 2 minutes.
• Add the sponge, bread flour, whole-wheat flour, salt and pepper.
• Mix with the dough hook for 2 minutes, or until the ingrediets are combine.
• Or beat vigoursly with a wooden spoon for 8-10 minutes.
• Let the dough rest for 15 mintes.
• Add the caramelized onions and resume mixing, continuing for 12-14 minutes or until the dough is silky and elastic and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
• The dough should be very wet and sticky, but still elastic.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
• Let rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in volume.
• Turn over a baking sheet and set a piece of parchment paper on it.
• Place the dough on a well-floured work surface, handling it gently to preserve as much volume as possible and cut into 2 equal pices.
• Gently pull and stretch each piece of dough into a flat round, about 1 1/4 inches thick.
• Transfer to the parchment paper.
• You may have to reshape once you have moved it.
• Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• To avoid the plastic from sticking to the dough, spray the dough with some cooking spray.
• Place a baking stone on the middle rack in the oven and preheat to 450 degrees.
• Using a spray bottle, spritz the oven walls with water.
• Work quickly so the oven does not lose heat.
• You could also quickly place several ice cubes in the bottom of the oven after you have placed the loaves in the oven.
• Slide the loaves, still on the parchment paper, into the oven onto the hot stone.
• Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until the bread brown.
• Transfer the flatbreads to a rack to cool.
• Note: I could only bake one loaf at a time.
• Next time I will forget about turning the dough onto a floured board.
• I'll gently dump half of the dough onto each piece of parchment paper and shape it there.

CARAMELIZED ONION BREAD

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute until translucent. Lower the heat a bit and continue to cook until the onions are a golden brown and caramelized all over. I add a few splashes of balsamic vinegar - it really enhances the sweetness, and gives the onions a deep mahogany color. The whole process takes about 45 minutes. Cool to room temperature. In a large mixing bowl, combine yeast, sugar and 1/4 cup water. Stir to dissolve and let sit until yeast is foamy, about 5 minutes. Pour in remaining water and 3 cups bread flour, mix well. Add onions, pepper, salt and another cup of flour and stir again. Add remaining flour gradually until dough comes together into an elastic ball. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise unil doubled in size, about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 Lightly grease a 10-inch tube pan with cooking spray. Gently deflate risen dough on a lightly floured surface, press a hole in the center of it (like a huge bagel), and place in the tube pan. Cover, and let rise another 45-60 minutes. When bread is finished rising, bake for 45 minutes, until golden. Turn loaf out of pan onto a cooling rack to cool to room temperature before slicing. Enjoy as part of your favorite sandwich, as morning toast, or just plain sliced, it's really that good (my favorite way to eat this is toasted alongside fried eggs). *Make Ahead Tip: I often prepare the caramelized onions a day or two in advance, refrigerate them, and then microwave them for 20 seconds when ready to make the bread (just to get the chill off).*

BRIE & CARAMELIZED ONION FLATBREAD

Steps:

• Grease a 15x10x1-in. baking pan; set aside. In a large skillet, heat butter over medium heat. Add onions; cook and stir 4-6 minutes or until softened. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 25-30 minutes or until deep golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook and stir 1 minute longer., Preheat oven to 425°. Add brown sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper to onion mixture. Cook and stir 5 minutes longer. Press dough into a 12x10-in. rectangle onto prepared pan. Top with onion mixture and cheese. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

BREAD MACHINE CARAMELIZED-ONION BREAD

Steps:

• In 10-inch skillet, melt butter over medium-low heat. Cook onions in butter 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are brown and caramelized; remove from heat.
• Measure carefully, placing all ingredients except onions in bread machine pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Add 1/2 cup of the onions at the Raisin/Nut signal or 5 to 10 minutes before last kneading cycle ends. (Reserve any remaining onions for another use.)
• Select Basic/White cycle. Use Medium or Light crust color. Do not use delay cycle. Remove baked bread from pan; cool on cooling rack.

CARAMELIZED ONION BREAD (BREAD MACHINE)

Steps:

• Melt butter in skillet over medium-low heat. Cook onions in butter 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are brown and caramelized. Do not hurry the process. Remove from heat.
• Place all remaining ingredients in bread machine pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer.
• Set to basic cycle with medium or light crust. Add onions at beep signal or 5 to 10 minute before end of kneading cycle.
• Alternatively, use dough cycle. Remove dough at end of cycle, shape as desired, place on cornmeal-sprinkled baking sheet and let rise. Bake for app. 30 to 40 minutes in a 400 deg. oven. Exact time depends on shape.
• Note: I generally substitute one cup of whole wheat or rye flour for one cup of the bread flour. Rye is particularly excellent.