Braided Onion Bread with White Wine and Smoked Bacon

This is a rustic braided yeast bread (part levain, part commercial yeast) that is filled with a mix of caramelized onions and smoked bacon deglazed with white wine. It's hearty, packed with flavour, and quite a treat for onion lovers. If you're a vegetarian, leave out the smoked bacon, it tastes different though equally delicious served with a salad or soup. I have cut the braided loaf into two and baked them in loaf pans, but you can just bake the whole braided loaf on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

Braided Onion Bread with White Wine and Smoked Bacon

adapted from Brot-Bernd Armbrust

©angiesrecipes

Filling	Dough
250 g Onions 150 g Smoked bacon 2 tbsp Sunflower oil 200 ml White wine	25 g Fresh yeast 150 ml Water, lukewarm 50 g Rye sourdough starter 150 ml White wine 400 g Bread flour 100 g Dark rye flour 10 g Salt

Peel and cut the onions into rings. Cut the smoked bacon into small cubes. Heat the oil in a skillet and cook onion rings over medium heat until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add in diced smoked bacon and white wine. Cook the mixture until the liquid has almost evaporated. Leave it overnight in the fridge.
Dissolve yeast with warm water in the bowl of your stand mixer, then stir in sourdough starter and white wine. Add in flours and salt. Mix for 4 minutes at slow speed, then increase the speed and mix 4 more minutes. Shape into a longish dough. Cover and rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. Prepare two loaf pans and line with baking papers.
Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface roll it out to a 50x35-cm rectangle. Spread the onion mixture lengthwise over 2/3 of the dough. Fold the dough into a three-layer, beginning at the un-filled third. Cut into 3 strips and braid. Slice the braided loaf from the center into half. Pinch ends to seal and tuck under. Place each into a loaf pan. Cover and let rise for 30-45 minutes at room temperature.
Fill a roasting pan with water and place it at the bottom of the oven. Preheat the oven to 230C/450F. Dust the loaves with a little bit flour. Bake the loaves in the center of the hot oven for 35-40 minutes. Remove the roasting pan with water after 15 minutes.