The Baker's Daughter: Roasted Potato and Onion French Bread

Roasted Potato and Onion French Bread

This is a really nice hearty bread with great fall flavours. It is a great bread to serve with a soup or stew. I like using a finishing salt for a burst of flavour but kosher salt will work just as well. The Celtic Sea Salt I used is from Brittany France, which is fitting I think

Roasted Potato and Onion French Bread

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tbsp white sugar

1 ½ tsp kosher salt

2 cups water

1 tbsp yeast

2 cups roasted potatoes

1 cup finely chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped

pinch of finishing salt

Directions

Drizzle potatoes with olive oil, and toss with a pinch each of pepper and salt. Roast potatoes at 450 for 15-20 minutes until crispy and brown. Let potatoes cool.

Using a stand mixer, mix together the flour and salt. Combine the water, sugar and yeast together. Add 2 cups of the flour and salt mixture to the water and mix on low for two minutes until combined. Add the remainder of the flour and mix on medium for 5 minutes. Place in a large oiled bowl, cover and leave in a warm spot for approximately one hour until doubled in size.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface and add your roasted potatoes, onion, garlic and rosemary. Cut dough in half and form each ball into a football shape. Place on a baking pan sprinkled with a little cornmeal. Let rise again in a warm spot for approximately half an hour.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Place an oven proof dish filled with water on the bottom of your oven (this water will provide the steam necessary to form a nice crust).

Brush the loaves with an egg white, make a slit in the tops with a serrated knife and sprinkle with finishing salt if desired.

Bake at 425 for 25 minutes, rotate the pan, remove the pan of water, and turn the heat down to 350 and bake for another 10-15 minutes.