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.
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.