Delicous, soft sandwich loaf with sharp cheddar and caramelized onions. Your roast beef sandwiches will never be the same.
Don't want to scroll through the page to get to the recipe? Use the table of contents to click on the section you want.
Table of Contents
🗝️ 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
Sure thing! Chop them up and melt some butter over medium heat in a large skillet or pan. Add the onions, lower the heat, and simmer covered until they turn soft and have a nice, rich golden brown color.
It can take 45 minutes or even an hour, but the flavor is worth it. Get 'em started in the pan well before you want to make the bread.
Sharper cheese will give the bread a better flavor. I prefer an aged, sharp cheddar, but you can use what you like best.
📚 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!
📓 Meal plans in minutes
📞 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
Print Pin Recipe SaveIngredients
- 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
I earn a commission from Instacart from qualifying purchases.
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
- 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.
Nutrition Facts
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.
Sign up for the emails and never miss another recipe!!
We'll never share your email or send you spam. Pinkie swear.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!
Linda H
How does one store this if not eaten the same day?
I also plan to make these into mini loaves. Any tips or suggestions? I wonder how many mini loaves your recipe would make. Thank you.
Marye
Tightly wrapped on the counter is fine.
Richard Rothney
This is a wonderful recipe. My first trial I followed the recipe faithfully with ingredients but used my Dutch oven to bake each loaf at 450F (240C) for 30 minutes covered and 10 minutes uncovered. The results were very good and tasty with a nice crust dotted with bits of the slightly crispy melted cheese. The next time I experimented with beer and Munster cheese instead of buttermilk and Cheddar. I also replaced two cups of the 6 cups bread flour with King Arthur White WW. The results were also amazing and devoured in short order by hungry students during my homeroom. "Next Level", "11 out of 10". Thanks for this recipe.
suzanne norris
The recipe made 2 HUGE loaves. They didn't rise well and did not bake well. The bread tasted wonderful but it was too "flat" and underdone.
Marye
I'm sorry it didn't work for you, Suzanne.
Steve R
Can this recipe be halved and made in a bread machine?
Marye
It can be halved but I've never made it in a bread machine so I can't say.
Leslie
This is a really great bread but it was very dark even on the sides and bottom although I covered the bread as directed. Is there a reason it should be baked at 400 degrees? I think I might try baking at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
Marye Audet
This is what works in my oven - and honestly ovens can vary so bake it on the temp that works best for you. 🙂
Marye Audet
Thanks for letting me knoW!
Bobby
Hi Marye,
I am so, so glad I stumbled upon your Onion Cheese Yeast Bread recipe! I've recently started baking again and wanted a bread that called to my hankering for a perfect grilled cheese sandwich to go with my tomato soup.
The hardest part was caramelizing the onions and using them to make the bread. Thank goodness I made a double batch. The recipe came together nicely and before I knew it my house was filled with the heavenly aroma of bread baking in the oven. I took a loaf to work to share during a meeting. There was a toaster available in the meeting room and before I knew it the bread had been toasted, distributed and devoured in short order. This recipe rocks!
I had to go out of town a couple of days later to visit family and the night before my trip I actually baked 2 loaves to carry home. Again, this bread earned rave reviews.