French Onion Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs (about 6) medium onions
5 tbsp butter
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
6 cups beef stock
1 None bay leaf
1 None small baguette
1/2 cup grated Gruyere or Swiss cheese, grated

Preparation

Slice the top off each onion, leaving the root end intact. Peel away the skin. Slice thinly. Melt the butter in a large, heavy-based saucepan. Add the sliced onions. Cook slowly over very low heat, stirring frequently, for about 35-40 mins, until very soft and golden brown.
Stir in the flour. Cook for 1 min. Remove from the heat. Gradually pour in the stock, stirring continuously. Add the bay leaf. Return to the heat. Bring to a boil. Cover; simmer gently for 20-30 mins. Remove the bay leaf. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Preheat the broiler to medium-hot. Cut the baguette into 1/2-inch slices. Set aside 8 slices. Arrange the rest of the bread on a broiler pan. Sprinkle two-thirds of the grated cheese over baguette slices. Broil until the bread is lightly golden and the cheese has just melted.
Divide the reserved bread slices between 4 bowls. Ladle three-quarters of the soup over bread. Float 2-3 slices of cheese toasts on top of each portion. Ladle the remaining soup over toasts. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Garnish with freshly ground black pepper.