Curried onion bread

24 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
2 tablespoons Olive oil plus oil for the bowl
2 larges Onions, thinly sliced (6 cups thinly sliced)
2 cups Cooked chickpeas
5 teaspoons Curry powder
1 Envelope active dry yeast
1 tablespoon Sugar or honey
2½ cup Warm water
2 tablespoons Honey
4 teaspoons Sea salt
7 cups Unbleached flour, (7 to 8)
1 Egg white
Beaten for glaze
1 Vegetable oil spray

Directions

Note: Caramelized curried onions give this bread a rich flavor, while chickpeas provide extra protein and a pleasing contrast in textures. The sponge (intermediary rising of part of the dough) gives the bread extra lift and flavor.

1. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet. Cook the onions over medium-low heat until a light golden brown, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the chickpeas and curry powder and continue sauteing the onions until a deep golden brown, about 3 minutes.

2. Combine the yeast, sugar, and ¼ cup warm water in a small mixing bowl and stir to mix. Let stand for 6 to 8 minutes: It should foam like a head of beer.

3. Prepare the sponge: Stir 2 tablespoons warm water into the yeast mixture. Stir in 1 cup flour or enough to obtain a moist but shapable dough. Roll the dough into a ball and drop it into a deep bowl filled with warm water. It will sink to the bottom. After 5 to 10 minutes, it will rise to the surface. The sponge is now activated and ready to use.

4. Transfer the sponge to a large mixing bowl. Stir in the remaining water, the 2 tablespoons honey, the salt, and the onion-chickpea mixture. Stir in the flour, one cup at a time. Add flour until the dough becomes too stiff to stir: it should be dry enough to come away from the sides of the bowl but soft enough to knead. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Wash the bowl and lightly oil it with spray oil.

5. Knead the dough for 6 to 8 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. If the dough is too sticky to knead, work in a little more flour. Note: The dough can be mixed and kneaded in a heavy-duty mixer fitted with a dough hook or a large food processor fitted with a dough blade.

6. Return the dough to the oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place it in a warm, draft-free spot and let it rise for 1½ to 2 hours, or until doubled in bulk. (The dough can be allowed to rise at lower temperatures, even in the refrigerator, but the rising time will be longer.) 7. Punch the dough down and cut in half. Pat each half into an 8-inch-long oval. Plump the ovals in the center and drop them, seam side down, into two 9-inch loaf pans greased with spray oil.

8. Cover the loaves with dish towels and let the dough rise again until doubled in bulk. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Brush the top of each loaf with beaten egg white or water and, using a sharp knife or razor blade, make a series of parallel diagonal slashes, ¼ to ½ inch deep.

9. Bake the loaves for about 35 to 40 minutes, or until firm and nicely browned. The standard test for doneness is to tap the bottom of the loaf: If it sounds hollow, the bread is cooked. You can also test for doneness with an instant-read thermometer: The internal temperature should be about 190degrees F.

10. Let the breads cool for 5 minutes in the loaf pans, then turn them out onto a cake rack. Let cool slightly or completely. (Bread piping hot out of the oven is very hard to slice.) Makes 2 loaves (24 slices) NOTE: I used 1 tbls olive oil and 1 tbls balsamic vinegar to carmelize the onions.

Recipe by: Steven Raichlen's High-Flavor Low-Fat Vegetarian Cooking Posted to Digest bread-bakers.v097.n010 by Terry and Kathleen Schuller <schuller@...> on Feb 05, 1997.

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