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–+ servings
Dinner rolls in a pan topped with caramelized onions.
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5 from 1 vote

Onion Buns

These buns are soft, fluffy, and packed with rich, caramelized onion flavor.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Rising Time1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time2 hours
Course: Bread
Cuisine: Canadian
Servings: 9
Calories: 301kcal
Author: Jacqueline Piper

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour 500 grams
  • 1 ¼ cups milk warm, I use almond milk
  • 1 ½ teaspoons instant yeast
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • 2 onions diced
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 large egg for egg wash, optional but recommended
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Add the oil and butter to a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, thyme, and a pinch of kosher salt. cook, stirring often, for about 20-45 minutes, depending on how brown you want the onions.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour yeast, sugar, salt, and onion powder. Mix. Add the warm milk and 3/4 of the diced cooked onion and mix until combined. Reserve the rest of the onion for topping the buns before baking.
  • Knead on medium-low for about 4-5 minutes, or until you have a smooth dough. Add flour by the tablespoon as needed. The dough should come together in a ball away from the sides of the bowl but will still be very sticky on your hands. You should be able to shape it into a ball with a bit of work. If it’s all over your hands, add more flour by the tablespoon.
  • Place the dough ball back into a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap and a towel and let sit somewhere warm to rise for about 30-60 minutes, or until doubled in size.
  • Punch dough down and lightly grease a 9 x 9 pan.
  • Place dough on a lightly floured counter. Divide the dough into 9 even pieces, about 100 grams each. Shape each portion into a ball by cupping your hand over the top and rolling in circles until the ball is smooth.
  • Place the dough balls seam side down into the pan. Let rise, covered with a towel for another 30-60 minutes until almost doubled in size.
  • Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Brush the top of the dough with the egg wash. Divide the remaining onions over the tops of the buns.
  • Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until buns are golden brown and cooked through.

Video

Notes

If you want simply softened and browned onions, fry them for 8-10 minutes. To caramelize them, cook them longer, adding a splash of water here and there and stirring. This will take 20-45 minutes. The onions in these photos were cooked for 20 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 301kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 5g | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 3mg