Italian Red Onion Bread Ring Recipe

Ingredients for Italian Red Onion Bread Ring:

• 12 oz (340 g) strong flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1½  oz (40 g) butter or margarine
• ½ oz (14 g) fresh yeast or ¼ oz (7 g) dried
• 1 lb (450 g) red onions
• Salt and pepper
• Olive Oil
• Large sprig of rosemary
• 2 teaspoons light brown sugar

Method for Italian Red Onion Bread Ring:

1. Sieve the flour into a warm bowl, add the salt and mix well. Leave in a warm place.
2. Cream the yeast with a ¼ pint  (145 ml) warm water. Leave until frothy.
3. Make a well in the centre of the flour, add the yeast mixture and enough extra warmed water to make an elastic dough.
4. Knead  for 5 minutes to mix well.
5. Put into a clean bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place  until doubled in size.
6. Peel and thinly slice the red onions and soak in cold water for about 10 minutes.
7. Dry the onions and fry them lightly in the butter until they soften. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Turn the dough on to a floured board and knead again for a few minutes and then roll it out like a long sausage and form it into a circle, making the middle hole as large as possible.
9. Oil a warm oven-proof tray and place the circle on it and allow to rise again.
10. Flatten it slightly, spread the onions all over the dough, making sure they don’t drop down into the middle hole.
11. Break the rosemary into pieces and stick them into the dough at even intervals.
12. Scatter the sugar over the top.
13. Bake in a pre-heated oven at Gas Mark 6 (200°C/400°F) for about 30 minutes.
14. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

This red onion bread can be eaten either warm or cold. An interestingly flavoured bread to accompany a salad or soup or even just a glass or two of chilled wine on a summer’s day.