I love baking bread and when I saw the event “We Knead to Bake” by Aparna, I could not resist. For this month we are baking a pull apart bread and we were able to pick our choice of filling. Since I had already posted a garlic parmesan pull apart bread I decided to use cilantro pesto. The bread was done and it tasted great, but there was one small problem with it according to my kids. Well, it was too green for them 
. Hmm .. how did I not think of that, given that I have picky eaters. The picture below is the cilantro pesto pull apart bread. I had to post it for the effort that went into it.
So, I decided to bake another one. I had always wanted to caramelize onions to see how they taste and decided to use that as the filling. Since we love cumin flavor, I could not pass that up. Oh my, it tasted so good. The sweetness from the onions and the cumin flavor made each bite flavorful. Half the bread was gone when it came out of the oven and the few left over pieces tasted even better the next day. Off to the recipe.
Onion-Cumin Pull-Apart Bread
Tasty pull apart bread with onions and cumin seed filling.
Ingredients:
- garlic - 3 cloves
- red chillies - 1
- bread flour - 3 cups
- yeast - 2 tsp
- sugar - 1/2 tsp
- salt - 1 tsp
- olive oil - 2 tbsp (butter can be used instead)
- milk - 11/4 cup (luke warm)
- For Filling
- cumin seeds - 2 tsp - roasted and crushed (jeeragam)
- oil - 1 tbsp
- onion - 2 cups - chopped
- salt - to taste
- pepper - to taste
- cheese - 1/2 cup (Any cheese can be used. I used a Mexican Cheese Blend)
Instructions:
Grind red chilly and garlic and keep aside. Take flour, yeast, salt and sugar in a bowl and mix. Add the chilly-garlic paste and olive oil. Crumble together.
Using milk form a dough (it will be sticky). Knead for around 10 minutes to get a smooth dough. Keep aside in a warm place to rise and double in volume.
Meanwhile, for the filling dry roast cumin seeds and pound using a mortar and pestle or grind using a coffee grinder. Keep aside. Next heat oil and add onions, salt and pepper. Saute until the onions are caramelized. It took around 30 minutes for me.
When the dough doubles in volume, punch it down and place on a lightly floured surface. Shape into a loaf and roll into a 12 x 12 inch square. Brush butter over it and sprinkle pounded cumin seeds, onion and cheese. Use as much as needed.
Cut into 6 strips. Stack the strips with the topping facing upward. Next cut through gently using a sharp knife into 6 equal square stacks.
Grease and flour a 9 x 5 loaf pan. Keep it vertical if possible and place the stacks. Do not overcrowd the pan. I was able to fit only 4 stacks in the loaf pan. Cover and allow it to rise for another hour.
After an hour, brush the top with milk and bake in a preheated 350F oven for 30 - 40 minutes until the top is golden brown.
1. For cilantro pesto filled bread : Make cilantro pesto and spread that over the 12 x 12 inch square. Repeat other steps and stack.
2. All purpose flour can also be used instead of bread flour. Use the same amount.
3. If using active dry yeast, proof it first with some warm water and sugar and then add to flour. You can add the same amount of yeast as mentioned. For proofing : Mix active dry yeast, little luke warm water(about 1 oz.) and sugar. When it gets frothy, add to the flour. Skip adding sugar to the flour since we have already added it for proofing.
1 year ago: Mullu Murukku
Pictorial
1. Take garlic and chilly in a blender and make a paste.
2. Paste ready for dough. You do not have to grind it finely.
3. Take flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a bowl and mix.
4. Add the paste and olive oil.
5. Crumble together.
6. Using milk form a dough.
7. Dough ready. It will be sticky. 
8. Knead well for about 10 minutes to get a smooth dough. Grease your hands with oil if needed. Cover and keep aside to rise.
9. Dry roast cumin seeds.
10. Pound using a mortar and pestle. You can also use a coffee grinder or blender.
11. Pounded cumin seeds. Keep aside.
12. Heat a tbsp of oil and add the onions, salt and pepper.
13. Onions ready. Keep an eye and stir often. It took around 30 minutes.
14. Meanwhile the dough has risen.
15. Place on a floured surface and shape it into a rectangle.
16. Roll it into a square 12 x 12 inches.
17. Brush butter over it.
18. Add the pounded cumin seeds, onions and cheese. Use as much as needed.
19. Slice into 6 strips using a pizza cutter or sharp knife.
20. Stack all the strips gently with the topping side facing up.
21. Gently slice the stack using a sharp knife into 6 equal square stacks.
22. I was very excited after seeing the stacks and forgot to click them together. :). This is how it looks and the filling used here is cilantro pesto.
23. Grease and flour a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.
24. Carefully place the stacks in the pan. If your pan can stand vertically, keep it vertical and place the stacks in it. I could not fit them in one loaf pan and I put the remaining 2 stacks in a different pan. Do not overcrowd or crush the stacks. They need room to rise again. Cover and allow the dough to rise again.
25. After an hour the dough has risen. Brush the top with milk and bake in a preheated 350F oven for 30 - 40 minutes until the top is golden brown. It took 40 minutes for me.
26. Out of the oven. 
Soft pull apart bread ready.
Enjoy!Sending to Bake Fest #15 hosted by Sumee, Yeastspotting
and linking to We Knead to Bake.
Hi Vardhini,
I sooo love this…surely trying this our over the weekend.
Thanks for sharing.
Your blog looks lovely.
Cheers
Gauri
Mmm, they both look great to me! But I suppose I was picky as a child, too
I love your cumin/onion combo, I’ve never heard of that before, but I’m sure it tasted just as good as it looks!
Really nice savoury filling and bread too.
Loved the filling..the bread must have been so aromatic
Fabulous! The caramelized onion looks delicious!
Wonderful recipe Vardhini .Great clicks
Wow…wonderful clicks..
Love both your version. Caramelized onions tastes good in any dish. tempting!
wow ! this event and the pull apart bread are making headlines in most blogs, Vardhini.. I loved the combo, and thanks for the detailed pix.. Will make this soon
Btw, if I were to use 1 cup of flour (APF), and used active dry yeast (and not instant), how much would I need to use of the latter? Also, if I used active dry yeast, is the process the same (post proofing).. let me know !
Yes, process is the same after post proofing for active yeast. I will add it to notes.
Are you going to use 3 cups all purpose flour? If so, the amount of yeast is the same for active dry yeast also.
Vardhini – as am gonna make it for the first time, wanna try out for 1 – 1.5 cups of flour
Kalyani
Sizzling Tastebuds
2nd blog Anniversary + Giveaway
Event : Winter Foods : 30 min Challenge
Thanks Vardhini ! made this many times over and we loved it.. FInally on the blog now with a linkback to ur recipe !! Here it is – http://www.sizzlingtastebuds.com/2015/12/onion-sesame-pull-apart-bread-yeasted.html
Thanks
Kalyani
That looks so rustic and nice.. Love it.
Bread has come out perfectly, Vardhini.. Both the breads are amazing. Since I love cilantro flavor am leaning towards the green bread more..
Came Out Very Perfect !!!
liked both your breads, cilantro pesto sounds interesting…nice clicks!
I love that green bread! looks spot on Vardhini
looks so tempting very nice.
Wow so tempting it looks couldnt resist!
Mindblowing breads,loved your both versions..Cant take my eyes from your clicks.
wonderful.. bookmarking it…
love the pics , u have made it look so simple/…
Wow! Both the breads look so beautiful and delicious!
Yum. Lots of recipes I see for breads don’t include step by step pictures and you’ve made it look very simple with your detailed pictures! Thank you
Nitya
I liked both your breads. I love coriander flavour in most of my dishes and so i thought the ‘green’ bread was innovative.