French Onion, Garlic & Cumin Bread
Submitted by butterflyangel122983
French onion, garlic and cumin bread, a bold savory yeast loaf packed with crispy bacon, sauteed onion and garlic, Swiss cheese, pecans and warm cumin. An artisan round that freezes well and slices like a dream.
YIELD
24 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
40 minREADY
2 hrsThis is no plain dinner roll. It is a bread loaded with flavor: crispy bacon, sauteed onion and garlic, nutty Swiss cheese, toasted pecans, and the warm, earthy lift of cumin seed and rosemary.
The savory mixture is cooked first, so the onion and garlic soften and the bacon crisps, then it is worked right into the dough for flavor in every bite.
A food processor does the hard work of kneading, bringing the dough together fast until it is smooth, elastic and springs back when pressed.
After two rises, shape it into a round, slash the top decoratively and brush with egg glaze for a shiny, bakery-style crust. A dusting of cornmeal on the pan keeps the bottom crisp. Bake until deep golden and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. It even freezes well for a couple of months, so you can bake ahead.
Chef Tips
- Cook the bacon, onion and garlic until the onions soften and the bacon crisps. That pre-cooking is where the deep flavor comes from.
- Check doneness by tapping the bottom, which should sound hollow, or with a thermometer. The loaf is done at 190°F (88°C).
- Cool it on a wire rack so steam escapes and the crust stays crisp instead of going soft.
Variations
- Swap the Swiss for Gruyere or sharp cheddar.
- Use walnuts in place of pecans, or leave the nuts out.
- Stir in caramelized onions for an even sweeter, deeper onion flavor.
Ingredients
Directions
In a large frying pan or skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon, onion and garlic until lightly browned and the bacon is crispy.
Sir in the pecans, salt, pepper, rosemary and cumin seed.
Set aside.
In the work bowl of a food processor, using the plastic dough blade, combine 3 cups of the bread flour and the sautéed onion mixture.
Add the yeast, egg and the swiss cheese and combine thoroughly.
With the machine still running add the water slowly until the mixture begins to pull together and forms a ball.
If the dough is sticky, add the remaining flour ¼ cup at a time.
Process until the dough cleans the sides of the work bowl, then knead for approximately 1 minute longer.
The dough should be smooth and elastic and bounce back when pressed with your finger.
Place the dough into a lightly oiled freezer type plastic bag and put in a warm place to double in volume, about 1 hour.
Remove the dough from the bag and punch down.
Shape the dough into a round, placing the dough on a lightly greased baking sheet that has been dusted with the cornmeal.
Make 3 or 4 decorative slashes into the top of the bread and brush with the egg glaze.
Allow to rise again, in a warm draft free area until doubled, about 45 minutes.
Place the dough into a preheated 375℉ (190℃) oven and cook for 35 to 40 minutes or until the bread is golden and the bottom sounds hollow when taped with your finger (or the dough registers 190 degrees on an instant read thermometer).
Place the bread directly on a wire rack to cool.
this bread freezes well for 2 to 3 months if tightly wrapped.
To serve, defrost overnight in the foil.
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