Onion Bread

This recipe makes 2 golden brown loaves. The rising times take a bit, but it is worth the wait. While they’re baking your home fills with an intoxicating aroma. Goes so well with anything, you can even use it to make sandwiches.

2 cups of water
1 package Lipton Onion Soup Mix (NOT Beefy Onion)
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. butter (I use unsalted)
1 package yeast (2-1/4 teaspoons)
1/4 cup warm water (for yeast)
5-6 cups flour

Place the 2 cups water in a small pan and bring to a boil; stir in the soup mix package and simmer covered for about 10 minutes. Stir in the sugar, salt, cheese and butter – take off the stove and set aside to cool to lukewarm. This should take about 10 minutes.

Place the 1/4 cup of warm water in a large bowl; sprinkle the yeast on top to stir and dissolve. Let this sit dissolving while the pot in step 2 is cooling down. Stir the soup mixture and 3 cups flour into the yeast. Stir it with a wooden spoon for about 2 minutes.

Mix in the remaining 2 to 3 cups flour (a bit at a time) and keep mixing with the wooden spoon until it becomes too difficult. Turn on some good music because now you gotta knead the dough. . .
Flour your counter and dump the bowl contents onto it. Knead away for a couple of minutes. You will probably have to keep sprinkling flour onto the counter while you are kneading – that’s okay. Continue kneading for a few minutes until the dough is smooth – it really doesn’t take that long if the music’s good.

Spray some cooking spray (I use Pam) into & around another bowl; place dough into bowl and turn it over to grease the top. Cover to let it rise in a warm place for 1-1/2 hours. Suggestion: it will work better if you spray the plastic wrap you are going to cover the bread with, prevents sticking. This is a tried & true method for all your yeast breads.

Punch dough down, turn out onto the counter and divide it in half. This dough is going to be sticky – don’t be concerned with that. Cover to let rest 10 minutes.
Shape into loaves (again with the sticky) and place into 2 greased bread loaf pans, cover, to let rise again for 1 hour.

At the 30 minute mark, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Place loaves in the oven for 30 – 40 minutes, or until browned. Set out on cooling racks for 10 minutes then pop out of pans to completely cool on racks. Enjoy!