Onion Cheese Yeast Bread Recipe

Savory onion and cheese bread is light with a crisp crust, tender crumb, and great onion and sharp cheddar flavor. Try it for your next grilled cheese or ham sandwich. Makes 2 loaves.

Total time for the recipe to be finished.Total Time 3 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

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Delicous, soft sandwich loaf with sharp cheddar and caramelized onions. Your roast beef sandwiches will never be the same.

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🗝️ Key takeaways

• With caramelized onions, sharp cheddar, and a tender crumb, you won't be able to stop snacking on this deliciously soft bread.
• The versatile slices make the best sandwiches ever and taste perfect alongside your favorite dinner recipes, too!
• This onion bread recipe is easy enough for beginners and packed with tips for handling yeast and bread dough.

The only thing better than a fresh, fragrant loaf of bread coming out of the oven is two loaves of fresh bread coming out of the oven!

Thankfully, this caramelized onion bread recipe makes enough delicious bread for the whole family to enjoy—because, when it's this good, one loaf is never enough.

🧾 Ingredients

This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.

📖 Variations

• We love the combination of caramelized onions and sharp cheddar. However, some people prefer to use Gouda or Swiss cheese.
• Sweet onions have more natural sugar and will taste even sweeter after caramelization. For a more mild flavor, opt for yellow or white onions.
• Craving a spicy twist? Add some sliced hot peppers to the onions while caramelizing them.
• If you don't have bread flour you can use all purpose flour. There may be a very slight difference in texture and rise.

🥫 How to store leftovers

Onion cheese yeast bread doesn't last long in my house—especially when everyone likes to cut themselves an extra thick slice. I'm guilty, too!

Place the leftovers into a bread box or a brown paper bag. Store at room temperature, and enjoy the following day.

Any longer, and you'll want to place the leftovers in the freezer. (I don't like to refrigerate bread, as it tends to dry out more quickly.)

Wrap the leftover onion cheese loaf—sliced or unsliced—in a tight layer of plastic wrap, then put it in a freezer bag. It'll keep for three months!

Simply pull out a frozen slice and thaw it in the toaster, or let the entire loaf thaw on the counter for a few hours.

💭 Things to know

Expert Tip: If you don't have two loaf pans, you can create "free-form" loaves. Make oblong or round shapes and use a baking stone or sheet.

• Nervous about working with yeast? Don't be—it's not tricky once you get the hang of it. Brush up on these yeast tips if you want a little more help!
• Make sure you use warm water. It should be about 110F.
• If the yeast mixture doesn't get bubbly in 5-10 minutes, it's old. Start again with new active dry yeast so you don't waste your time and flour.
• Be sure to let the onions cool to room temperature before you add them to the dough. Too much heat will destroy the yeast.
• Knead the bread with a dough hook on your stand mixer or on a lightly floured surface.
• The bread dough shouldn't be so sticky that you can't knead it, though a little tackiness is okay. If it's more gluey than doughy, add some flour.
• The dough is properly kneaded when it stretches without snapping off. Use the window-pane test to check—stretch a small piece between your fingers and hold it up. You should see some light through it.
• Place dough in a large bowl that has been oil and then turn the dough ball over to oil the top.
• Remove the loaves from the pan after about 5 to 10 minutes to prevent soggy bottoms.
• Finishing the cooling process on a wire rack prevents the bread from getting soggy. If you prefer a softer crust, it's best to cover the loaves with a tea towel (rather than letting them cool the entire way in the loaf pan.)

👩‍🍳 FAQs

📚 Related recipes

• Smoked Gouda Cheese Bread has a fabulous smoky taste and a deliciously crispy crust. It's great for sandwiches and soup!
• If you like spice, you'll adore this tender, light Hatch Chile Cheese Bread. The recipe makes enough dough for two delicious loaves.
• Bacon and bread. Need I say more? This Bacon Bread is an easy white bread recipe with a delicious pop of everyone's favorite savory staple!

🍽️ Serve with...

Onion cheese yeast bread adds delicious flavor to any meal.

We love pairing it with this easy deviled ham salad for lunch or enjoying it with 10-minute cream of tomato soup for dinner.

This chocolate sheet cake is the perfect ending.

However, if you want to enjoy the bread in its simple glory, I recommend lightly toasting it to enhance the cheesy flavor. Top it with a little spoonful of homemade dried fig chipotle jam and prepare to be wowed!

📞 The last word

This onion cheese sandwich bread is so perfect for fall soups and stews and sandwich suppers! Try it!

If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.

If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 Recipe

Onion Cheese Yeast Bread Recipe

4.50 from 6 votes

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Savory onion and cheese bread is light with a crisp crust, tender crumb, and great onion and sharp cheddar flavor. Try it for your next grilled cheese or ham sandwich. Makes 2 loaves.

Course Yeast Bread

Cuisine American

Prep Time: 2 hours hours 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 3 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings:24

Calories:194

Author:Marye Audet-White

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 envelope active dry yeast
• ▢ ¼ cups lukewarm water
• ▢ 1 pinch powdered ginger, helps activate the yeast
• ▢ 2 cups warm buttermilk
• ▢ ⅓ cup sugar
• ▢ ¼ cup melted butter, lukewarm not hot
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1- ½ cups extra sharp cheese, shredded or cubed small
• ▢ 2 cups chopped onions, caramelized
• ▢ 6 cups bread flour, more or less as needed

Instructions

• Add the yeast and ginger to the water with a teaspoon of the sugar.
• Stir together in a bowl and set aside for 5 minutes.
• Mix buttermilk, sugar, salt, baking soda in with the yeast mixture.
• Add three cups of flour and mix until smooth.
• Mix in butter, onions, and cheese until it is totally incorporated into batter.
• Now, begin to add the rest of the flour, one cup at a time, keeping mixer on low speed.
• When dough pulls from the sides of the bowl remove it from the mixer to a floured surface and knead until elastic and smooth. Or, knead with the mixer according to manufacturer's instructions.
• Place in greased bowl, turn to grease the top, cover and allow to rise for 1 -½ hours.
• Punch down and form into two loaves.
• Place in greased loaf pans and grease tops.
• Cover, and allow to rise for 45 minutes.
• Brush tops with egg yolk mixed with a teaspoon of water to make it glossy.
• Preheat oven to 400F. Bake for 30 minutes, covering tops with foil if they brown too fast.
• Remove loaves from oven and allow to cool in pans for 10 minutes.
• Turn out and cool completely on a rack.
• Cover the loaves if you want soft crusts.

Notes

Storage:

Place the leftovers into a bread box or a brown paper bag. Store at room temperature, and enjoy the following day.

Any longer, and you'll want to place the leftovers in the freezer. (I don't like to refrigerate bread, as it tends to dry out more quickly.)

Wrap the leftover onion cheese loaf—sliced or unsliced—in a tight layer of plastic wrap, then put it in a freezer bag. It'll keep for three months!

Tips:

• If you don't have bread pans you can make these in round or oblong free-form loaves.
• If the yeast mixture doesn't get bubbly in 5-10 minutes, it's old. Start again with new active dry yeast so you don't waste your time and flour.
• Be sure to let the onions cool to room temperature before you add them to the dough. Too much heat will destroy the yeast.
• The bread dough shouldn't be so sticky that you can't knead it, though a little tackiness is okay. If it's more gluey than doughy, add some flour.
• The dough is properly kneaded when it stretches without snapping off. Use the window-pane test to check—stretch a small piece between your fingers and hold it up. You should see some light through it.

Scroll up to the tips section in the post for more helpful tips.

You'll find more helpful tips and variations in the body of the post.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 194kcal | Carbohydrates: 30.1g | Protein: 6.8g | Fat: 5.1g | Cholesterol: 13.1mg | Sodium: 222.3mg | Fiber: 1.1g | Sugar: 4.4g | Vitamin A: 200IU | Vitamin C: 1.7mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 1.6mg

Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.

First published October 8, 2013. Last updated September 6, 2023, for editorial updates and readability.

✍🏻 A note from Marye...

I know y'all don't always like the stories bloggers tell so when I have one I try to put it at the very bottom so you can read or skip as you like.

When I was a kid we had a pool and in the summer my parents threw pool parties. One of their friends used to bring shaved roast beef sandwiches on onion bread.

I swear I could eat those things until my stomach bloated and I didn't have enough room to swallow a quarter-teaspoon of crushed ice.

Make a couple of roast beef sandwiches with this and you'll see what I mean!

What’s new? Check out my Restless Chipotle & Co. Store on Amazon where you'll find all kinds of nostalgic goodness!  Thanks so much for being a part of Restless Chipotle!