Bacon, Bleu & Onion Soda Bread
I heard a funny saying recently….”no one under the age of 40 eats bread anymore!” I laughed at the sincerity of that statement. Amid the gluten-free, low carb, KETO craze, there lies a primal longing for beautifully baked bread. It’s part of our ancestral DNA…it’s how we lived, survived and shared with others. Pardon the pun, we used to break bread together because it was pivotal to our survival. It nourished through long, hard days of work. It was the basic binding that brought us together to discuss plans, goals and the future. Bread was life! I haven’t forgotten this truth. But, it needed a modern perspective. Even though gluten is still part of this breads structure, it’s now overflowing with foodie flavors.
By taking a basic soda bread recipe and “foodie-fying” it, breaking bread has taken a modern twist. This Bacon, Bleu and Onion Soda Bread uses the “bones” of a traditional soda bread recipe. I’ve kept the sugar in despite the addition of savory flavors. The sugar helps elevate the palatable components of this bread. In addition, using the freshest ingredients provides the advantage of an outstanding final product which will become evident.
Easily obtainable ingredients are key to success. Use thick-cut applewood smoked bacon and gently cook it crispy. Use the same fat to caramelize the onions allowing uniformity of flavor. Utilize fresh herbs to elevate the aromas in your bread. Lastly, your cheese choice should reflect your personal preference. Do some research! With so many varieties of bleu cheese readily available, discover which bleu is you! This would be an opportune excuse to host a cheese tasting. Pick up a couple of bleu’s that “look” good. Ask your cheesemonger which bleu is popular with local consumers. Go to a farmer’s market and buy a sustainable bleu, supporting your local economy. Then, invite your friends and uncork a great bottle of wine or two! Discuss the pros and cons and imagine it baked into this bread.
As a result of your cheesy diligence, your Bacon, Blue & Onion Soda bread will emerge a masterpiece. The sweet, caramelized onions; salty, thick-cut crispy bacon; and tangy, peppery, bleu cheese (I like Point Reyes, Original Bleu), will be an inviting addition to your next meal. Enhance stews, soups and cheese tastings using this versatile bread. Served up warm, with a cut of Kerrygold butter, you have officially reinvented the modern art of breaking bread.
Bacon, Bleu & Onion Soda Bread
Equipment
- Sheet pan
- Silpat or parchment paper
- Cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 1 each large egg whisked
- 1 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 4 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 lb thick-cut applewood bacon cut into lardons
- 1 each large, yellow onion julienne cut
- 1/4 cup Marsala wine
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter cold and cubed
- 1 tsp fresh thyme finely chopped
- 1/2 lb bleu cheese crumbled
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Combine the whisked egg and the buttermilk together and mix well. Set aside.
- Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt together in a bowl and set aside.
- Cut bacon into lardons (lardon is just a fancy word for slab bacon sliced into matchsticks. There's some debate as to appropriate dimensions, but about ¼-inch thick, 1-inch long seems to be a sweet spot). Gently cook until crispy, starting with a cold, non-greased pan. Remove crispy bacon onto paper towels to drain excess fat. Save about 1 tablespoon of bacon grease in pan and add onions.
- Gently cook onions until they become light brown or caramel in color (caramelized). Add Marsala wine to pan (deglazing) and scrape up browned bits from bottom of the pan with spatula. Cook until almost all of the wine is evaporated (au sec). Remove from pan and set aside to cool.
- While bacon and onions are cooling, add cold, cubed butter to flour mixture. Using your hands, incorporate butter into the flour mixture by rubbing together to create a crumbly texture the size of small peas. Add the thyme and bleu cheese and gently combine.
- Add cooled bacon and onions to egg mixture and thoroughly mix. Create a well in flour mixture and add egg mixture. Gently combine all ingredients together. DO NOT OVER MIX DOUGH. Ensure all ingredients are combined and form into a ball on your work surface.
- Place dough ball onto a Silpat lined sheet pan or into a cast iron skillet (whichever is available to you). Using a knife, cut a deep "X" across the top of the bread. Do not cut all the way though, roughly 3/4 of the way through. Cut another "X" in between your previous "X" creating 8 pie-shaped pieces.
- Baked at 400 degrees F for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before eating.
