- 2 medium onions
- 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon dry mustard
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 3 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 3 1/2 cups grated sharp Cheddar (about 14 ounces)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9- by 5- by 3-inch loaf pan, knocking out excess flour.
- Chop onions and in a large skillet cook in butter with 1/2 teaspoon salt over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and pale golden, about 15 minutes. Cool onions.
- Into a bowl sift together flour, cornmeal, mustard, baking powder, and remaining teaspoon salt. Stir in poppy seeds and Cheddar. In a small bowl lightly beat eggs and stir in milk. Add milk mixture and onion mixture to flour mixture, stirring until just combined.
- Pour batter into loaf pan. Bake bread 1 1/4 hours, or until a tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool bread in pan on a rack 10 minutes. Turn out bread onto rack and cool completely.