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:
- Sieve the flour into a warm bowl, add the salt and mix well. Leave in a warm place.
- Cream the yeast with a ¼ pint (145 ml) warm water. Leave until frothy.
- Make a well in the centre of the flour, add the yeast mixture and enough extra warmed water to make an elastic dough.
- Knead for 5 minutes to mix well.
- Put into a clean bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in size.
- Peel and thinly slice the red onions and soak in cold water for about 10 minutes.
- Dry the onions and fry them lightly in the butter until they soften. Season with salt and pepper.
- 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.
- Oil a warm oven-proof tray and place the circle on it and allow to rise again.
- Flatten it slightly, spread the onions all over the dough, making sure they don’t drop down into the middle hole.
- Break the rosemary into pieces and stick them into the dough at even intervals.
- Scatter the sugar over the top.
- Bake in a pre-heated oven at Gas Mark 6 (200°C/400°F) for about 30 minutes.
- 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.
Lovely will make again, had it with ham, fish and soup.