Zwiebelbrot für Fondue und Raclette (onion bread for fondue and raclette)

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a pan over low heat. Add the onions and sugar, and cook very slowly, stirring occasionally, for 35 to 40 minutes, until deeply caramelised and a rich brown. Let cool completely.
2. Combine the flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Add the water and olive oil, and mix to a rough dough. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
3. Flatten the dough and fold in the fully cooled caramelised onions, kneading gently until evenly distributed.
4. Cover and let rise for 60 minutes, until doubled.
5. Shape into a round loaf and place on a lined baking sheet. Let rise, covered, for 30 minutes.
6. Preheat the oven to 220°C (fan). Score the top with a few shallow cuts. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the crust is deeply golden brown and the internal temperature reads at least 96°C.
7. Cool completely on a rack before slicing.

Notes

• Let the caramelised onions cool completely before adding them to the dough. Warm onions can kill the yeast on contact or raise the dough’s temperature enough to throw off the rise; cooled fully, they fold in without disrupting fermentation.
• Caramelise the onions properly, low and slow. Rushed, high-heat onions turn bitter rather than sweet, and that bitterness comes through clearly once baked into the bread.
• This bread is deliberately sturdy, not soft. A thick, chewy crust and dense crumb are what let it hold together on a fork through repeated dips into hot cheese; a softer sandwich-style dough would fall apart.
• Best eaten the day it’s baked, alongside fondue or raclette; day-old slices are excellent toasted.

Ingredient substitutions

• A handful of fresh thyme folded in with the onions adds a herbal note.
• A pinch of caraway in the dough is a traditional pairing with onion bread.
• This loaf also stands well on its own, sliced and served with butter, not just as a fondue accompaniment.