How to Make Easy Onion Bread

Let me just put it out there... I LOVE this bread! It may very well be my favorite bread. It is just that good. But the real reason I absolutely love this bread so much is because it is super easy to make and gives you a professional bakery quality bread every time. I first started making this bread after my mom came home from the farmers market last year with an onion bread that cost $8. It was delicious but I knew I could make something just as good and for half the price. The following week my onion bread recipe was born. Enjoy!

Dough Ingredients (makes 2 loaves)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 packet or 1 tbsp dry active yeast
3 1/2 - 4 cups flour
1 cup warm milk
1 stick of butter (1/2 cup) melted
2 eggs

Onion Filling Ingredients
2 medium size onions chopped
1/3 cup oil
2 tsp course sea salt or to taste
2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
3 tbsp tomato paste

Directions:
For the dough: combine sugar, salt, yeast and warm (not hot!) milk in a large mixing bowl. Let yeast proof for 5 minutes. The mixture should look frothy after the 5 minutes. Mix in 2 cups of the flour. Then mix in the melted butter (let it cool so it is warm to the touch but not hot). Add in 1 egg. Now slowly start adding in the rest of the flour. The dough should be soft and supple. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes. Put the dough in a bowl and cover it with a clean dish towel or plastic wrap. Let it rest for about an hour till it has doubled in size. While it is rising make the filling.
For the filling: add oil, onion and salt to a skillet. Saute over medium low heat until onion is soft.

Mix in the tomato paste and continue sauteing for another minute or two. Mix in the red pepper flakes if you are using it. Shut off the heat.
Once the dough has risen, divide it into two equal loaves. Roll each loaf out into a rectangle on a floured surface.

Spread half the filling over the dough leaving an inch around. Do the same for the other loaf too.

Roll the dough up jelly roll style starting at the long end.

Arrange dough into a flat coil on a baking sheet. Cover with a clean dish towel and let rise until it doubles in size about an hour and a half. Brush the top of the loaves with a beaten egg.

Bake in a preheat oven at 350° for 30 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Frugal Accomplishments

For the week of 5/6/2013- 5/13/2013

Picked up free bags from my local recycling center. The man gave me 3 packs since I don't get there that often.

Babysat made $50

Picked up 55 yogurt cups for free. They were a managers special with a 50 cent peelie. They rang up 50 cents making them all Free!!! What a steal.

Joined a co-op and placed my first order for grass fed and raw dairy. The prices are comparable with conventional food prices.

Baked 3 loaves of bread.

Had a potluck of leftovers for dinner one night.

Made goat cheese from failed goat milk yogurt.

Passed on material presents for Mother's day and got exactly what I wanted. A family barbeque dinner that I didn't have to cook.

Processed 3 of my chickens myself. Got a little over 20 lbs. of fresh meat!

Red Hot Chili Pepper Paste / Kirmizi Biber Salcasi

Red pepper paste is a common ingredient used in Turkish cuisine. I like it because it gives a little kick and a nice red color to any dish. I especially like to use it in Bulgur Pilavi.

I keep a Ziploc bag in my freezer for any peppers that have turned red and started drying up. When I have a decent amount I make red pepper paste.

This recipe is very versatile and practically fool proof. You can use red bell peppers for a mild paste, a mix of bell and chili peppers for medium heat, or like me just chili's for a spicy hot paste.
I used dried peppers but fresh are fine too.

If using dried peppers first rehydrate them a little by pouring boiling water over them and letting them sit until cool. Once cool pull the stem and seeds out. Wear gloves for this. I didn't and my hands were burning for hours.

Boil peppers (fresh or rehydrated) about 15 minutes until soft. Put peppers and a couple of  ladle fulls of the boiling liquid in a blender. (I used 2 ladle fulls for about 1 quart of peppers) Blend until smooth. Add more liquid if needed to keep the blender going.

 

Put pureed peppers into a pot. Add salt. Cook over low heat until most of the liquid has evaporated. Be careful that it doesn't BURN. Once it is thick and at the consistency you like (I like mine a little thinner than the store bought one) put it in a clean jar. Drizzle a little evoo over the top if you'd like. I make small jars at one time so I do not can mine but this summer depending on my pepper harvest I may try to can some.  Keep refrigerated.

Now it's ready to use. Spread it on toast. Saute it with a little butter for eggs. Add it to soups, pasta sauces, bulgur, anything you'd like to have a little extra heat.

Enjoy!

                                   
I am linking up to the Barn Hop at The Prairie Homestead

Transitioning to a Real Food Diet

I have always been interested in real food.  I never really knew where to start though.  My journey finally started about a month ago mostly by accident.  Last month I ended up with a failed batch of yogurt. Instead of throwing it out I reheated the milk. I had planned on adding vinegar to make farmers cheese but before I could the milk curdled and separated. I separated the curds from the whey.
So the dilemma was what to do with all of that whey? So I turned to the real food guide book Nourishing Traditions by: Sally Fallon. My first baby step was using the whey to soak legumes. We had been eating a lot of them because of my grocery budget. My mom has trouble digesting beans so I hope this little step helps.
I have also been doing some experimentation with fermenting. Lacto ferments are high in probiotics and so good for you. My son is an extremely picky eater. But like every kid he loves his ketchup! I tried the lacto fermented ketchup recipe from Nourishing Traditions. I figure that I could get some extra nutrients in him through condiments :).
I started soaking my grain and flour. Baby step #2! I have my sourdough starter bubbling, some soaked pizza dough in the freezer, and last night made some oh so yummy soaked pumpkin muffins. Today I plan on making sourdough crackers.
I am trying to make small changes but more importantly to be consistent!