Our Daily Bread - Turmeric Onion Sandwich Bread

A springy loaf of earthy turmeric, sweet onion, and floral nigella.

Our Daily Bread - Turmeric Onion Sandwich Bread

Makes 1 – 9x5 in (23x12.75 cm)

The goal of this bread, though I didn’t fully realize it until its seventh iteration was an egg onion bagel as a sandwich bread. If you’ve never had one, an egg onion bagel is gently sweet like an egg bagel but with aromatic onion and poppy seeds baked in. The onion lends a savory sweetness to the bagel with poppy seed adding a slight texture but more visual difference than flavor.

My bread is an upgrade of that with turmeric adding color and a gentle earthiness to the bread along with nigella seeds in the place of poppy seeds adding the same visuals but also a floral aroma and nuttiness that poppy seeds do not have. I’ve made this bread both with and without egg and butter which makes it vegan and each are equally delicious. To make the bread vegan, see the Recipe Tips.

“Recipe Tips:

*1. 8g (2 t) granulated onion can be used instead. The flavor will not be the same but it is similar.

**2. An equal amount of black sesame seeds can be used instead of the nigella. The sesame seeds will not give the same aroma as the nigella seeds but some of the same flavor will remain. You can also add about 1 t of poppy seeds which would be more typical of an egg onion bagel.

3. To make this loaf vegan, replace the butter with 30ml (2 T) olive oil and the egg with 50ml (0.25 c) water.”

Ingredients

Scald

350ml (1.75 c) water

28g (2 T) butter

132g (0.50 c + 1 T) semola rimaginata

*30g (2.5 T) onion flakes

20g (4 t) granulated sugar

8g (2 t) kosher salt

**6g (2 t) nigella seeds

3g (1 t) ground turmeric

3g (0.75 t) ground black pepper 

Dough

7g (1.75 t) instant yeast

1 large egg, room temperature

300g (2 1/3 c) bread flour

Method

Scald

1.      In a small pot bring the water and butter to a boil.

Do not allow the liquid to boil too long because if too much evaporates, it may throw off the hydration of the dough.

2.      In a large mixing bowl combine the remaining scald ingredients.

• Immediately pour over the boiling water and stir to combine with a heatproof spatula.

• Cover and cool completely. 

Dough

3.      Mix the egg and yeast into the cooled scald until homogeneous.

• Add the flour and mix in until no dry flour remains.

• Place the dough onto an unfloured work surface and knead for 7 minutes scraping the work surface and your hands with a bench scraper regularly.

The dough will be sticky. But keep at it scraping your hands and bench every few turns. The dough needs to be worked well to develop as much gluten as possible because the various fillings are working against what you are trying to do.

If necessary, switch to the slap and fold kneading method instead to help mitigate sticking.

• Form the dough into a ball and return to the bowl.

• Cover and ferment for 45 minutes.

• Fold.

To fold: lightly flour the surface of the dough and work surface. Turn the dough out onto the work surface and lightly flour your hands and the surface of the dough. With your finger tips, flatten the dough to remove large air bubbles. Grab a grip of dough across from you, lift and stretch the dough out a few inches then fold it over the center. Turn the dough 90 degrees and repeat this process, lightly flouring your hands as necessary to prevent sticking, until you reach the point where you began. The dough should have formed a ball at this point. Flip the ball onto the “seams” of the dough on the bottom and tuck the dough together to make a ball.

• Return to the mixing bowl, cover and ferment 45 minutes longer.

• Repeat the fold.

• Cover and refrigerate overnight.

4.      Line a loaf pan with parchment if necessary.

My loaf pan is great but sometimes causes sticking. To prevent this I always line it.

5.      Lightly flour the top of the dough and the work surface.

• Use a bench scraper to release the dough from the bowl and remove to the work surface leaving the unfloured surface on top.

• Lightly flour the surface of the dough and roll out into a large rectangle with the short sides facing and across from you, lightly flouring the top and bottom of the dough to prevent sticking as necessary.

• Dampen your hands lightly and use to lightly dampen the surface of the dough.

• Bring the bottom of the dough up to the center before bringing the top down to meet in the center.

• Press the seam together and gently press the surface of the dough.

• Lift the dough and turn 90 degrees so the short sides are again facing and across from you.

• Starting at the top, roll the dough down occasioning pulling back on the roll create a little tension.

• At the bottom, press the seam of the dough well to seal the log and place on the work surface.

• Gently press to lengthen and place in the prepared pan.

• Cover loosely and proof for 1 – 2 hours or until the dough has risen 2.5 – 4 cm (1 – 1.5 in) above the rim of the pan.

This may take longer (depending on the temperature of your room) because the dough is cold from the fridge.

What is most important is that the dough rises above the rim of the pan as written.

6.      Preheat oven to 200 C / 400 F.

• Bake for 5 minutes.

• Reduce to 180 C / 350 F.

• Bake 30 – 35 minutes longer.

After 30 minutes, carefully test the loaf with an instant read thermometer stuck into the side into the middle of the loaf.

The bread should register 94 C / 200 F.

If not ready, allow to cook longer.

If the dough is browning too much, tent loosely with foil.

• Remove to a cooling rack and cool in the pan for 5 minutes.

• Remove from the pan and cool completely.

7.      Slice and serve.