Jewish Onion Bread Recipes

Steps:

• Make dough:
• Stir together water, yeast, and sugar in a small bowl until sugar is dissolved, then let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, discard and start over with new yeast.)
• Stir together 2 1/2 cups flour and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a large bowl, then add yeast mixture and 2 tablespoons oil and stir until a dough forms. Turn out dough onto a floured surface and knead, adding enough of remaining cup flour, a little at a time, as needed to prevent stickiness, until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
• Form dough into a ball and transfer to an oiled large bowl, turning to coat with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.
• Cook onions while dough rises:
• Cook onions in remaining tablespoon oil with remaining teaspoon salt in an 8- to 9-inch nonstick skillet over moderately low heat, stirring, until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Cover surface of onions with a round of parchment or wax paper (or cover skillet with a tight-fitting lid) and cook onions, lifting parchment to stir frequently, until very soft and pale golden, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Shape and bake bread:
• Transfer dough to a 15- by 10- by 1-inch baking pan and stretch dough, first by pulling with your hands, then by pressing your fingertips into dough and working outward from center, until dough fills pan. Prick dough all over at 1-inch intervals with a fork, leaving a 1-inch border all around sides, and cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap (oiled side down). Let dough rise slightly in draft-free place at warm room temperature, 30 minutes.
• While dough rises, put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
• Gently brush dough with some egg wash, being careful not to deflate dough. Scatter onions evenly over dough, leaving a 1-inch border, then sprinkle with nigella seeds.
• Bake until top is golden and bottom sounds hollow when tapped, about 30 minutes. Lift bread from pan and transfer to a rack to cool slightly.
• Cut into roughly 3-inch squares before serving.
• *Available at specialty foods shops and Kalustyan's (800-352-3451).

Steps:

• Pour scalded milk over 2 Tbsp.
• of the butter, the sugar, and the salt.
• Stir until butter is dissolved.
• Sauté the onions in the rest of the butter until golden, about 10 minutes over med-low heat.
• Dissolve the yeast in the warm water.
• Add to the cooled milk mixture.
• Add the herbs to 2 cups of the flour and mix well.
• Add herb and flour mixture to the milk/yeast mixture and mix well.
• Add the onions and the remaining flour and mix thoroughly.
• Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until elastic.
• Place in a buttered bowl, cover and let rise until doubled.
• Punch down and let rise again for 30 minutes.
• Shape into loaves and place in two buttered loaf pans.
• Let rise again until doubled and bake in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes, then bake at 350 degrees until browned and done, about 30 to 35 minutes more.
• Turn out of pans and cool on rack.
• Brush crust with butter while hot for a soft crust.
• NOTE: Also makes excellent rolls and breadsticks.

Steps:

• Boil potatoes until very tender.
• Drain and mash, (with skins) until very smooth. Let cool until lukewarm.
• Dissolve yeast in 2 cups warm water. Then add honey, milk powder, salt, oil, potatoes, onions, and Rotel. Stir well to mix. Then add 3 cups flour and stir well. Add remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time until you have a stiff dough.
• On lightly floured surface knead in enough flour so that dough is no longer sticky. Knead well until elastic.
• Place dough in greased bowl and let rise until double in size. Then punch down and form 3 loaves. To make buns, form dough into 3" round buns.
• Place loaves in 3 greased loaf pans and let rise again until double. Then brush on egg wash.
• Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350°F for 50 minutes or until bottom of loaves sound hollow. Remove from pans. Let cool on racks.
• For buns, place on greased baking trays and let rise. Brush with egg wash. Bake buns for 30 minutes. Enjoy!