How to Make French Onion Soup

Melt the butter with the oil in a large heavy pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Cook slowly, stirring every few minutes, for 40–50 minutes until deeply golden and jammy.

Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir for 2 minutes. Pour in the white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the base of the pot. Let the wine reduce for 3 minutes. Work steadily through this part of make french onion soup, pausing to double-check your work against the goal before moving on — most mistakes are caught when you slow down at transitions between stages. Note what worked in a phone memo so you can repeat the process faster next time.

Add the beef stock and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Preheat equipment fully and use a food thermometer for meat and reheated dishes — visual cues alone are unreliable, and the FSA recommends core temperatures above 70 °C for two minutes when reheating. Note what worked in a phone memo so you can repeat the process faster next time.

While the soup simmers, toast the bread slices under a grill until golden on both sides. Set aside. Lay out everything you need within arm's reach and read the full sequence once before starting make french onion soup — missing a single tool mid-task is the main reason simple jobs overrun their time estimate. Note what worked in a phone memo so you can repeat the process faster next time.

Ladle the soup into ovenproof bowls. Float a toasted bread slice on each and pile grated Gruyère on top. Grill for 3–4 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and golden. Garnish with thyme. Work steadily through this part of make french onion soup, pausing to double-check your work against the goal before moving on — most mistakes are caught when you slow down at transitions between stages. Note what worked in a phone memo so you can repeat the process faster next time.