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This bread was inspired by Derek's post from last week here. 

He recently made a few awesome loaves using raw onions in the dough.  I usually saute or caramelize my onions before adding them to the dough and a lot of time they end up getting absorbed into the dough.  By putting them in raw, they definitely kept their shape much better and also added a wonderful onion flavor to the bread.  I used some freshly made Greek yogurt that my wife recently made which really helped create a nice moist crumb.

This one came out excellent and made excellent pastrami with melted cheese sandwiches!  The crumb was nice and moist and flavorful.

Here are the Zip files for the above BreadStorm files.

Levain Directions

Mix all the levain ingredients together  for about 1 minute and cover with plastic wrap.  Let it sit at room temperature for around 7-8 hours or until the starter has doubled.  I used my proofer set at 83 degrees and it took about 4 hours.   You can use it immediately in the final dough or let it sit in your refrigerator overnight.

 Main Dough Procedure

Mix the flours  with 90% of the water and the yogurt for about 1 minute.  Let the rough dough sit for about 20 minutes to an hour.  Next add the levain, salt and the balance of the water and mix on low for 4 minutes.   (Note: if dough is too wet you don't need to add all of the water).  Next, add the chopped raw onions and mix by machine or hand for about 15 seconds until they are incorporated into the dough. 

Remove the dough from your bowl and place it in a lightly oiled bowl or work surface and do several stretch and folds.  Let it rest covered for 10-15 minutes and then do another stretch and fold.  Let it rest another 10-15 minutes and do one additional stretch and fold.  After a total of 2 hours place your covered bowl in the refrigerator and let it rest for 12 to 24 hours.  (Since I used my proofer I only let the dough sit out for 1.5 hours before refrigerating).

When you are ready to bake remove the bowl from the refrigerator and let it set out at room temperature still covered for 1.5 to 2 hours.  Remove the dough and shape as desired.

The dough will take 1.5 to 2 hours depending on your room temperature and will only rise about 1/3 it's size at most.  Let the dough dictate when it is read to bake not the clock.

Around 45 minutes before ready to bake, pre-heat your oven to 540 degrees F. and prepare it for steam.  I have a heavy-duty baking pan on the bottom rack of my oven with 1 baking stone on above the pan and one on the top shelf.  I pour 1 cup of boiling water in the pan right after I place the dough in the oven.

Right before you are ready to put them in the oven, score as desired and then add 1 cup of boiling water to your steam pan or follow your own steam procedure.

Lower the temperature to 450 degrees.  Bake for 25-35 minutes until the crust is nice and brown and the internal temperature of the bread is 205 degrees.

Take the bread out of the oven when done and let it cool on a bakers rack before for at least 2 hours before eating.