Balsamic Onion Pull-Aparts

Easy beer bread turned into something extra special using locally-made Marinated Balsamic Onions from The Rustic Fork in Folsom, California.  I meet Sonya, the owner of The Rustic Fork, at this year's Raley's Grape Escape in downtown Sacramento.  It was a fabulous event where scores of restaurants, cafes, wineries and even food trucks provided tasty bits and yummy samples of their special libations.  It was a great evening savoring great local and regional foodie favorites!

Sonya has some wonderful recipe ideas, too.  I especially loved her sweet and spicy bbq sauce and am hoping to create something pretty special with that product too.   It's great to see a local business and amazing cook bring her ready to use sauces and relishes to home cooks to create easy and flavorful appetizers and dinners.

Balsamic Onion Pull-Aparts are inspired from one of The Rustic Forks offerings: Marinated Balsamic Onions.  Let's just say, YUM!  Full of flavor and a deep rich color from slow cooking of the onions.  I used them as a filling for my pull-aparts combined with a great and easy beer bread recipe that I shared with you a while back.  This dough is super forgiving and loves, loves, loves to be slathered in savory cheesy stuff!

A perfect savory appetizer or a great dinner roll.  Perfect size for making ahead and freezing.  Great for this fall and winter soups and stews.  And, you don't have to do the pull-apart version, just place the pinwheels in the pan and ~voile~ : instant dinner rolls!  I love easy...

As for me...These yummy little powerhouses of flavor are perfect portion controls for bread consumption...A little thing I have a huge challenge with at present!


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Step-by-Step

To make the dough, place your dry ingredients in the mixing bowl, fitted with the paddle attachment.  In a small saucepan, heat the butter and 1/4 cup of beer, just until the butter has melted. Remove from heat and add the remaining 1/3 cup beer. Set aside to cool down slightly. You want the mixture warm (110 to 116 degrees), but not steaming hot.

With the mixer on low, pour in the butter-beer mixture, mixing only until the flour is moistened. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix until combined. The batter will look lumpy, but will become smooth in a moment. Add the remaining 1/2 cup all-purpose flour and all of the rye flour, mixing until just combined.

Replace paddle with a dough hook and let the machine knead the dough for 3 to 4 minutes on low.  Sprinkle in flour as needed.

Oil a medium/large bowl and transfer dough to it. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and set aside for 50 to 60 minutes, until doubled. Meanwhile, prepare filling.

In the same sauce pan that you heated the beer, melt the butter with the worcestershire, salt and pepper.  Set aside to cool, slightly.  Grate your brie cheese, cover and refrigerate so that it doesn't get glumpy.    

Assemble pull-aparts: Either coat a 12 cup muffin pan lightly with butter or nonstick spray.  Set aside. Divide dough in half.  Roll out one portion into a 9 X 12-inch rectangle, making sure it doesn’t stick to the board by lifting sections and re-flouring the board as needed. Brush on half of the butter mixture on the dough.  Evenly distribute 1/4 cup of the onions over the dough, right up to the edges.  Sprinkle with the cheese.

Roll up like you’re making cinnamon rolls.  You want a 12 inch roll.  Pinch the dough together and place the roll seam side down.  Cut into 1 inch pieces; you should have 12 pieces.  With kitchen scissors, cut each piece into 3 smaller pieces.  Place the 3 pieces in one muffin cup.  Repeat with remaining “pinwheels” of dough.   Repeat rolling, filling and cutting with the other 1/2 of the dough. 

Loosely cover the pans with plastic wrap or a towel, and set it aside to rise again for 30 to 45 more minutes.

Bake as directed until puffed and brown. Transfer it to a wire rack and let it cool for 5 minutes before flipping it out onto a serving plate/cutting board.  Or, just start eating!

Parmesan on the left.  Brie on the right. 

Gorgeous and look at that little bun!  Soooo cute!!  ;-D

Balsamic Onion Pull-Aparts

Adapted from Cheddar and Mustard Beer Bread and Smitten Kitchen

Makes 24 pull-aparts or rolls

Ingredients

Bread

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup plus 1/3 cup beer, preferably dark but really, use whatever you like to drink
2 1/2 cups bread flour, divided (can use AP flour)

1/3 cup rye flour (use additional bread flour if you don’t have this)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 teaspoon table salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature

Filling

Marinated balsamic onions (from The Rustic Fork)
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon table salt
Several grinds black pepper
1 cup grated parmesan cheese (5 oz container) or brie cheese, grated

Make dough: In a small saucepan, heat the 4 tablespoons butter and 1/4 cup of beer, just until the butter has melted. Remove from heat and add the remaining 1/3 cup beer. Set aside to cool down slightly. You want the mixture warm (110 to 116 degrees), but not steaming hot.

Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together 2 cups of the all-purpose flour, sugar, yeast and table salt. With the mixer on low, pour in the butter-beer mixture, mixing only until the flour is moistened. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix until combined. The batter will look lumpy, but will become smooth in a moment. Add the remaining 1/2 cup all-purpose flour and all of the rye flour, mixing until just combined. Replace paddle with a dough hook and let the machine knead the dough for 3 to 4 minutes on low.  Sprinkle in flour as needed.

Oil a medium/large bowl and transfer dough to it. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and set aside for 50 to 60 minutes, until doubled. Meanwhile, prepare filling.

Make filling:  In the same sauce pan that you heated the beer, melt the butter with the worcestershire, salt and pepper.  Set aside to cool, slightly.  Grate your brie cheese (if using), cover and refrigerate so that it doesn't get glumpy.

Assemble pull-aparts: Either coat a 12 cup muffin pan lightly with butter or nonstick spray.  Set aside.

Divide dough in half.  Roll out one portion into a 9 X 12-inch rectangle, making sure it doesn’t stick to the board by lifting sections and re-flouring the board as needed. Brush on half of the butter mixture on the dough.  Evenly distribute 1/4 cup of the onions over the dough, right up to the edges.  Sprinkle with the cheese. Roll up like you’re making cinnamon rolls.  Cut into 1 inch pieces; you should have 12 pieces.  With kitchen scissors, cut each piece into 3 smaller pieces.  Place the 3 pieces in one muffin cup.  Repeat with remaining “pinwheels” of dough.  

Repeat rolling, filling and cutting with the other 1/2 of the dough. 

Loosely cover the pans with plastic wrap or a towel, and set it aside to rise again for 30 to 45 more minutes.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Bake for 18-22 minutes, until puffed and brown. Transfer it to a wire rack and let it cool for 5 minutes before flipping it out onto a serving plate/cutting board.

Serve warm or reheat.

All this pull-apart making is very tiring for Natasha...She loves to lay on freshly

laundered towels...Such a spoiled girl. 

Ellen