Make This Easy Bread With Onion Sauce
Rolled bread never goes out of style – just ask any carb-obsessed bread lover like yours truly – but they’ve been making a resurgence lately for those who don’t like to proof dough for hours. Rolled Bread is a simple, affordable and cheap snack to accompany your snack while watching football. Just take a bath of onion sauce and a round loaf of bread (preferably in the shape of a soccer ball), and go.
Traditionally, the idea of shared bread involves individual balls of dough baked close together so that they stick to each other as they bake. You can season them however you like and serve them as one big center piece that you can take a small bite out of and literally separate it from the rest. Not only does it feel oddly satisfying to tear slices of bread from a large loaf, but the presentation is impressive, and just right for something like watching a football game. The only problem with making a flavorful loaf in a cast iron skillet is that you have to knead, shape and bake the bread, and not everyone is in the mood for that after work on a Monday. Instead, go to the grocery store bakery and grab any medium-sized round loaf of bread. The more rustic the better. Passing through the refrigerated racks, take a jar of onion sauce and a bag of grated mozzarella.
Forming and assembling is easy. Instead of baking individual buns into one loaf, reverse engineer the idea (prepare to blow your mind) and cut out individual pieces from an existing loaf. If you have a good bakery nearby, or your supermarket makes quality sourdough or seeded breads, you’ll get all the flavors of a professional bakery along with the toasted, fresh aroma of home baked goods.
Pour the onion sauce into a medium bowl and stir in about half a cup of shredded mozzarella and any seasonings you’re partial to. I used Trader Joe’s Onion Sauce , which is great tasting and lots of caramelized onion chunks, and added some garlic powder, but I can see that a bit of the tangy cayenne powder complements this shared bread nicely. While you can add some herbs or bacon bits, I don’t recommend adding salt. Most onion sauces – and this one was no different from Trader Joe’s – are very salty, and even though the sauce was spread all over the loaf of bread, the saltiness was still noticeable.
Take a loaf of bread, turn it over and pierce the bottom with a knife. Don’t be shy about it. Most sourdough buns and other artisan breads have a lovely crispy bottom. (This is great, as it gives more flavor.) The downside to peeling is that this crust makes the physical act of peeling more difficult. Because the bottom crust is stronger than the soft bread inside the loaf, you may end up with a raft with a bottom crust at the end of the night (although it’s not bad, use it for eggs in the morning). Holes in the bottom allow you to create multiple break points along the crust, making it easier for you to succeed in tearing off a piece without touching the onion loaf in front of all your friends.
Turn the loaf over so that it is upside down. Cut the entire surface of the loaf along the 1-inch hatch almost completely, stopping at the bottom crust. The loaf should still stick together. Use a serrated knife for this – it will make slicing much easier and prevent crushing the loaf. With a small, flexible rubber spatula or spoon, spread the onion-cheese dressing all over the inside of each row so that each slice of bread is a smear. Brush the top with the remaining sauce and sprinkle with grated mozzarella on top. Bake the loaf at 350°F for 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and any exposed bread starts to brown on top.
This cheesy and melting appetizer with a bright taste of caramelized onions is ideal to serve along with other side dishes. Feel free to prepare the loaf ahead of time. Cut, fill and wrap it so it doesn’t lose moisture and store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. When ready, bake as usual, but add five to ten minutes to the baking time.
Bread with mozzarella and onion sauce
Ingredients:
- 10 ounces onion sauce
- ½ cup grated mozzarella cheese (+ extra for topping)
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 round loaf of bread
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
Mix the first three ingredients in a medium bowl. Postpone.
Pierce the bottom of the loaf of bread with a small paring knife or fork. Flip over and score the top of the bread with a cross hatch almost all the way through, but leave the bottommost crust. Apply the onion mixture to all cuts. Cover the loaf with the remaining sauce and grated mozzarella.
Bake the bread on a baking sheet lined with paper in the oven at 350°F for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the exposed bread is toasty in color. Take it apart and enjoy! Leftovers will be stored in the refrigerator. To revive, heat the leftovers in the oven at 350°F for 5-10 minutes.