Recipe For Cooking French Onion Bread

Toast Oven Breads :: Sweet and Savory Yeast Breads

French Onion Bread

1 pkg. active dry yeast or 1 cake compressed yeast
1/4 C. warm water
1 envelope onion soup mix
2 C. water
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tea. salt
2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. vegetable shortening or canola oil
6 to 6 1/2 C. sifted enriched flour
Cornmeal

Soften dry yeast in the 1/4 C. warm water or compressed yeast in lukewarm water.

Combine soup mix and the 2 C. water; simmer covered 10 min.

Add sugar, salt cheese and vegetable shortening. Stir. Cool to lukewarm.

Stir in 2 C. of the flour and beat well. Stir in yeast. Add enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough. Turn out on lightly floured surface. Cover and let rest 10 min.

Knead until smooth and elastic (8 to 10 min.).

Place in a lightly prepared bowl, turning once to grease surface. Cover and let double in warm place (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hr.).

Punch down; divide in half. Cover and let rest ten min.

Shape into 2 long loaves, tapering ends. Place on prepared cookie sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Slash tops diagonally, 1/8 to 1/4 in. deep. Cover and let almost double (about 1 hr.).

Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 min.

Brush with mixture of one egg white and one Tbsp. water. Bake 10 to 12 min. longer or until done.