French Onion Bread

There is something about a cold, snowy day that brings out the baker in me.

So last week during the blizzard that blew through our area, I sat down with my cookbooks and found this bread.

 

French Onion Bread

5 1/2 to 6 cups all-purpose flour

2 pkgs. active dry yeast

1 envelope dry onion soup mix

2 Tbsp. sugar

2 Tbsp. shortening

Cornmeal

1 beaten egg white

In a large mixer bowl combine 2 1/2 cups of the flour and the yeast. Combine 2 1/4 cups water and soup mix in a saucepan; simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Stir in sugar, shortening, and 1 teaspoon salt; cool well. Add to dry mixture. Beat at low speed with mixer for 30 seconds, scraping bowl. Beat 3 minutes at high speed. Stir in enough remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough.

Knead dough on a floured surface till smooth (8 - 10 minutes)*. Shape into a ball. Place in greased bowl; turn once. Cover; let rise in a warm place till double (about 1 hour). Punch down; divide in half. Cover; let rest 10 minutes. Shape into two long loaves, tapering ends. Place on greased baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Slash tops diagonally, 1/4 inch deep. Cover; let rise till double (about 30 minutes). Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Brush with mixture of egg white and 1 Tbsp. water. Bake 10 to 15 minutes longer. Remove from baking sheet; cool. Makes 2 loaves.

from Better Homes and Gardens Homemade Bread Cook Book.  

*Note: I used the dough hook attachment on my mixer to do the kneading.