Onion and Garlic Bread Recipe

2 1/4 cups milk
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 medium onion (finely chopped)
1 Tablespoon honey (optional)
3 Tablespoons butter (margarine)
1/4 cup quick-rolled oats (rounded)
1 Tablespoon chopped parsley (optional for color)
1 egg
1 package of active dry yeast (or Quick-Rise yeast)
5 to 6 1/2 cups unbleached flour (I like to substitute 1 cup of wheat flour)

Chop the onion into small pieces. I like mine fairly fine. If you want the onion softened, sauté it in a small amount of butter at this time, then set aside.

In a small sauce pan add the first nine ingredients in the list (leaving the egg, yeast, and flour out). Place the pan on a stove top at medium heat and stir it a few times to mix everything together. While the milk mixture is warming, place 2 1/2 cups of flour and the yeast into a large mixing bowl. Return to the milk and continue warming it until it's reached 105 to 115 degrees. If you don't have a thermometer, don't worry. Use your finger and when it gets to a very warm "hot tub" temperature, you are there. Stir the solution a couple of more times, then add it to the flour mix on low speed.

Adjust your mixer speed to a low/medium setting and add the egg. Allow it to blend for 3 minutes. Mixing at too high of a speed will cool the recipe and whip too much air into the dough. Near the end of the 3 minutes, slowly add more flour, (a 1/4 cup at a time) until the dough begins to creep up the beaters. Turn it off and remove the bowl from the mixer.

With a large serving spoon (or your clean hands) kneed in more of the flour until the dough begins to form a large ball. You can turn it onto a clean, lightly floured counter top or continue to mix it in the bowl. Add enough flour until the dough is just dry enough to handle easily.

Grease another bowl (shortening or butter) and place the dough ball in it, turning it once or twice to coat the dough with the shortening. Cover it with a lightweight towel and place it in a cold oven along with another bowl of hot water. This will speed up the rising time. Leave it alone until doubled (about 50 minutes). Set a timer and go do something else.

When the timer rings, lightly grease a large cookie sheet. Punch down the risen dough and turn it onto a lightly floured counter top. Quickly divide the dough into approximately 12 pieces, then form each one into a hot-dog bun shape and place it on the cookie sheet. Leave a little space between them. (To make full loaves of bread, grease two loaf pans, divide the original dough ball into two pieces, form them into loaves, and place each in a pan.) At this point, melt a few tablespoons of butter and lightly coat the top of each roll or loaf. Place them back into the oven to rise for another 40 to 50 minutes. The rolls will push into each other as they rise. Again, set a timer and go do something else.

At the end of this rising, gently remove the uncooked dough from the oven, pre-heat it to 350 degrees, then bake them on the middle rack for approximately 25 minutes. (Set the timer and go do something else.) They will become golden brown when done. Remove them from the oven and let them rest for 5 minutes, then gently break them apart. For full loaves of bread, the baking time is about 38 minutes, or until the bread slightly pulls away from the side of the pan. After removing them from the oven, allow them to sit for ten minutes in the pan before turning them out to a cooling rack.

Eat your warm creation now, or bag it after an hour of cooling. Either way, it's a delight for the senses, and something that will compliment any main course you can offer to your guests. For fun, use your bread rolls to make mini-bread pizzas for the kids. Cut them in half, cover with sauce, cheese, and toppings of your choice. Place them into a 350 degree oven until the cheese is bubbly and browned. Enjoy!

http://voices.yahoo.com/best-onion-garlic-bread-recipe-5049786.html