Onion Bread Rolls

Baked bread rolls on a brown wooden board.

Onion rolls are a delicious twist on classic dinner rolls. They’re soft and fluffy with a hint of sweetness from caramelized onions. Perfect for mopping up a tasty sauce or topping with butter, onion rolls make a wonderful accompaniment to almost any dish!

Course bread

Cuisine Czech

Keyword Onion, Rye flour

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Rising time 1 45

Total Time 2 25

Servings rolls

Calories 223kcal

Author Petra Kupská

Ingredients

Yeast starter:

⅔ cup lukewarm water
1 teaspoon honey or granulated sugar
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 cup all-purpose flour

Yeast dough:

⅔ cup lukewarm water
2 teaspoons salt
3 Tablespoons canola (or sunflower oil)
¾ cup rye flour
2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

Fried onions:

2 medium yellow onions peeled and finely chopped
1 Tablespoon canola (or sunflower oil)

Misc.:

½ Tablespoon solid fat to grease the baking dish
1 egg for eggwash

Cups - Metric

Instructions

Fried onion:

Peel and chop 2 medium yellow onions. Heat 1 Tablespoon canola in a frying pan over medium-high heat and add the onions. Stirring constantly, caramelize the onions until golden. Be patient; it may take 15-20 minutes.
Prepare a paper towel and place the fried onions on it. This will help the onions cool down faster and absorb the excess fat in which they were fried.

Yeast starter:

In a mixing bowl, combine 1 teaspoon active dry yeast and 1 cup all-purpose flour. Stir 1 teaspoon honey into ⅔ cup lukewarm water and add it to the flour mixture. Mix until well combined. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and leave to bloom in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Yeast dough:

Add ¾ cup rye flour 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour and ⅔ cup lukewarm water to the blooming yeast starter. Stir briefly. Now, add 3 Tablespoons canola, 2 teaspoons salt and fried onions. Stir again.
Knead the dough carefully. If you're working by hand, turn it out onto a work surface and process for about ten minutes until you get a smooth, elastic dough. I used a kitchen stand mixer with a dough hook. I put the dough in a mixing bowl and let the mixer knead the dough on low speed for ten minutes.
Place the well-kneaded ball of dough in a bowl, cover with a tea towel, and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size.

Shaping and baking the rolls:

Grease a baking pan with ½ Tablespoon solid fat such as Crisco or soft butter. It is not necessary to line the pan with parchment paper or flour it.
Transfer the leavened dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead briefly. Gently stretch the dough into a square shape. Stretch each side of the dough slightly and fold like an envelope. This will make the dough firmer and easier to work with.
Roll out the dough to about ½-⅔ inch thickness. Using a pastry cutter, divide the dough into twelve equal pieces.
Roll each piece of dough into a ball. Gently press the dough as you roll to remove any air bubbles inside.
Place the rolls side by side in the greased pan, leaving a gap between them. Let them sit in a warm place for another 20 minutes to rise.
In a bowl, beat 1 egg with a fork. Brush the surface of each roll generously with the egg wash.
Preheat oven to 380 °F. Bake the onion rolls for 15-20 minutes, until the surface is golden brown.

Notes

The basic recipe makes 12 onion rolls.
SERVING: Onion rolls are a great alternative to regular bread. They make a perfect accompaniment to sauces and soups.
STORAGE: Cover the onion rolls in the pan with a tea towel and leave them sitting on the kitchen counter at room temperature. You can also put them in a plastic bag when they are completely cooled. Expect the rolls to stay soft for up to three days.
FREEZING: Onion rolls freeze well! As soon as they have cooled down, place them in a sealable freezer bag and place them in the freezer, where they will keep for about three months.

Nutrition