Pull-Apart Bread with Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese
Photo by Nico Schinco
MAKES
One 12 inch / 30 cm loaf
TAKES
Prep time: 2 hours 30 minutes (including rise times)
Cook time: 45 minutes
Total: 3 hours 15 minutes
✻ ABOUT THIS RECIPE
This savory bread is a serious stunner - and so much fun to make + eat. The dough is cut into circles, which are topped with a caramelized onion goat cheese spread, then folded in quarters. The folded dough pieces are baked in a round cake pan to create the shape of the final bread. Each piece pulls apart to form a perfect portion with both bread + spread included in every bite.
INGREDIENTS
Dough
114 g / ½ cup whole milk
28 g / 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
115 g / ½ cup sour cream
50 g / ¼ cup vegetable oil
50 g / 1 large egg
21 g / 1 tablespoon honey
510 g / 4 ¼ cups all purpose flour
4 g / 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
7 g / 1 packet instant yeast
Filling and Finishing
28 g / 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
680 g / 3 medium sweet onions, chopped
3 g / ½ teaspoon kosher salt
28 g / 3 large garlic cloves, minced
283 g / 10 ounces goat cheese
21 g / ½ cup chopped fresh chives
15 g / ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
4 g / 1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
50 g / 1 large egg
sesame seeds, as needed for finishing
21 g / 1 ½ tablespoons melted unsalted butter
Looking for More Savory Bakes?
METHOD
1. Make the Dough: In a medium pot, heat the milk, butter and 15 g / 1 tablespoon water over medium heat until the butter is melted and the milk is warm. Remove from the heat and whisk in the sour cream, vegetable oil, egg and honey.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, mix the flour, salt and yeast to combine. Add the milk mixture and mix on low speed to combine, about 3 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and mix until the dough is smooth, about 4 minutes.
3. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until puffy, about 1 hour.
4. Make the Filling: While the dough rises, caramelize the onions. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until they begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the salt and stir well to combine. Continue to cook until the onions are completely broken down and beginning to caramelize, 40 to 45 minutes.
5. Stir in the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in the goat cheese, mashing until the two are well combined. Fold in the chives, parsley and pepper to combine.
6. Grease a 12-inch round baking dish with nonstick spray. Divide the dough into 50 even pieces (about 17 grams each) and shape into balls. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.
7. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each piece of dough to about ¼ inch / 6 mm thick (about 3 inch / 8 cm wide). Spread 2 heaping teaspoons of filling evenly over the dough, all the way to the edge. Fold the dough in half, leaving the edges unsealed, then fold in half again. The piece will now resemble an unsealed fortune cookie with the filling visible along the edge.
8. Place the piece, filling facing upward, in the prepared baking dish. Repeat step 7 with the remaining dough and filling, and continue placing the pieces in the baking dish in concentric circles.
9. Cover the assembled bread with greased plastic wrap and let rise until the dough looks puffy, 30 to 45 minutes.
10. Preheat the oven to 350°F / 177°C. In a small bowl, whisk the egg with 15 g / 1 tablespoon water. Uncover the dough, gently brush the egg wash over it and then garnish with sesame seeds. Bake until evenly golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes.
11. Brush all over with melted butter. Let cool 15 minutes in the pan before unmolding onto a serving platter. Serve the bread warm.
✻ HAVE YOU BAKED IT?
Tag @emcdowell on Instagram or use #happybaking. I’d love to see your bakes!
