Recipe provided by: Anna Meyer (Gorman) – Children’s Program and Extra Helpings Administrator
Makes 1 small loaf (loaf should serve 4, but maybe make 2 loaves if you have big eaters in your house)
Active time: 30 minutes
Inactive time: 30-35 minutes
Total time: about 1 hour
For when you realize you would really like to have bread with dinner but it’s already 6pm. This quick bread gets its leavening from baking powder and baking soda instead of yeast, and goes from start to finish in an hour flat.
1 tsp olive oil
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp balsamic vinegar (optional but recommended)
1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp Italian seasoning (you can also use a mixture of individual dried herbs such as thyme, oregano, basil, or parsley)
2 tbsp chilled butter, cut into cubes
1/2 cup sour cream
1 beaten egg
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and allow to cook until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add the brown sugar and the balsamic and allow to cook until deeply browned, another 10 minutes. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, cheese, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and Italian seasoning/herbs.
- Add the chilled butter to the dry mixture. Combine the butter and flour by rubbing the butter between your thumb and fingers until it disappears into the flour. After this step, the mixture should have a uniform, coarse, mealy texture – you shouldn’t be able to see large chunks of butter.
- Measure the sour cream into a small bowl and thin it out with 2 tbsp of water. Add the caramelized onions and stir until the mixture is uniform in color.
- Add the sour cream mixture to the dry ingredients. Using your hands or a rubber spatula, combine until you get a rough dough.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and lightly knead for about 1 minute. Shape the dough into a round loaf. Using a sharp knife, cut a 1/2-inch deep cross on the top of the bread. Brush with the beaten egg
- Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown. Cut along the cross into 4 servings. Best served warm.
TIPS:
- If you don’t want to use your hands, you can also use 2 forks or a pastry cutter to incorporate the butter into the dry ingredients.
- If you don’t have sour cream, you can also use plain whole-milk yogurt or creme fraiche.
- Feel free to use a red onion instead of a yellow onion if that’s what you have on hand. However, if you do use a red onion, reduce the brown sugar to 1 tsp, as red onions have more natural sugar than yellow onions.
