French Onion Soup Rolls
shared by Nibblore Kitchen
These soft pull-apart rolls tuck jammy caramelized onions and nutty Gruyère into every spiral. A concentrated beef-broth glaze delivers classic French onion soup flavor without making the bread soggy. Serve them warm alongside a salad or roast, or set the whole skillet out as a shareable appetizer. • Cool the onion filling before spreading it over the dough; hot filling can soften the dough and weaken the spiral. • Cook the onions until their added broth has fully evaporated so the rolls bake up fluffy rather than gummy. • For neat portions, mark the log into quarters first, then cut each quarter into three rolls. • Place the pan on a sheet pan if it is filled close to the rim, as the cheese may bubble over. • Use Swiss cheese or a blend of Swiss and Parmesan if Gruyère is unavailable. • Use low-sodium chicken broth instead of beef broth for a lighter flavor. • Replace fresh thyme with 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme. • Use instant yeast in the same quantity; mix it directly with the flour and skip the foaming step. Refrigerate cooled rolls in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze individually wrapped rolls for up to 2 months. Reheat thawed rolls, loosely covered with foil, at 175°C for 10–12 minutes; uncover for the final 2 minutes to refresh the tops.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Servings
- 12
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
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Save to my cookbook — freeIngredients
- 4butter, unsalted and divided
- 3 largeyellow onions, thinly sliced
- ¾ tspkosher salt, divided
- 1 tspfresh thyme leaves
- ½ tspblack pepper, freshly ground
- 1 cupbeef broth, divided
- 1 tspWorcestershire sauce
- 2 ¼ tspactive dry yeast
- 2 tbspgranulated sugar
- ¾ cupwhole milk, warmed to 38–43°C
- 2 ¾ cupall-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 ½ cupGruyère cheese, coarsely grated and divided
- 1 tbspfresh parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- 1Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a 30 cm skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook for 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 22–28 minutes more, stirring every few minutes, until deeply golden and jammy. If the pan begins to scorch, add 1 tablespoon water and scrape up the browned bits.
- 2Stir the thyme and black pepper into the onions. Add 1/2 cup beef broth and the Worcestershire sauce, then simmer over medium heat for 4–6 minutes, stirring, until the liquid has evaporated and the onions no longer leave a wet trail in the pan. Transfer to a plate, spread out, and cool for at least 15 minutes.
- 3While the onions cool, stir the yeast, sugar, and warm milk together in a large bowl. Let stand for 5–10 minutes, until a foamy layer forms. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter; add 1 tablespoon of it to the yeast mixture and reserve the rest for finishing.
- 4Add the flour and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt to the yeast mixture. Stir until a shaggy dough forms, then knead on a lightly floured surface for 7–9 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Alternatively, knead with a dough hook on medium-low speed for 5–6 minutes. The dough should feel soft and slightly tacky but should not stick heavily to your hands.
- 5Place the dough in a lightly buttered bowl, turn once to coat, and cover. Let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 60–75 minutes, until doubled in volume.
- 6Butter a 23 cm round cake pan or 25 cm ovenproof skillet. Gently deflate the dough and roll it on a lightly floured surface into a 30-by-40 cm rectangle, with a long side facing you. Spread the cooled onions evenly over the dough, leaving a 2 cm bare border along the far long edge. Sprinkle with 1 cup Gruyère.
- 7Starting at the long edge nearest you, roll the dough into a snug log. Pinch the bare edge against the log to seal. Use a serrated knife to cut the log into 12 equal rolls, wiping the blade as needed. Arrange the rolls cut-side up in the prepared pan, leaving a little space between them.
- 8Cover the pan loosely and let the rolls rise for 30–40 minutes, until puffy and touching. During the final 15 minutes, heat the oven to 190°C.
- 9Bake the rolls on the center rack for 20 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Gruyère over the top, then bake for 8–12 minutes more, until deeply golden and the center of a middle roll reaches 88–93°C.
- 10While the rolls bake, pour the remaining 1/2 cup beef broth into the cleaned onion skillet. Boil over medium-high heat for 6–9 minutes, scraping up any flavorful residue, until reduced to 3 tablespoons and slightly syrupy. Remove from the heat and whisk in the reserved melted butter.
- 11Let the baked rolls rest for 5 minutes. Brush the warm broth glaze lightly over the tops, allowing a little to run between the rolls without saturating them. Sprinkle with parsley and serve warm.