Pepper Bread

This recipe was passed on to me by my aunt; we used to beg for her to make this as children. The pepper is slight in comparison to the overall taste. The brushed egg yolk mixture gives the bread a crunchier outside and soft inside.

Step: 1

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a tube pan.

Step: 2

Stir together 3 cups of flour, the sugar, pepper, yeast, and salt together in a large bowl.

Step: 3

Heat water and margarine to 130 degrees F (54 degrees C) in a saucepan over low heat. Pour the hot water-margarine mixture into the flour; quickly stir a few strokes to combine. Stir in 1 egg, beat the mixture to form a loose batter, and stir in 1 1/2 cups of flour. Knead the dough on a floured work surface until smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes.

Step: 4

Divide the dough into 12 equal-sized pieces, form them into rolls, and place them into the bottom of the prepared pan. Set the pan into a sink of hot water (about 115 degrees F/46 degrees C) until the rolls have doubled in size, about 15 minutes. Beat egg yolk with 1 tablespoon of water until thoroughly combined; brush the dough with the beaten egg yolk mixture.

Step: 5

Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 25 minutes.

Per Serving: 217 calories; protein 6.1g; carbohydrates 38.6g; fat 4g; cholesterol 32.6mg; sodium 233.7mg.

The quality of the flour can make a real deal to your bread. Different makers do vary. Extra-strong or Canadian flours, which are naturally higher in gluten, may give you a better rise than standard bread flours – especially if you’re making wholemeal dough , which not always rise as well as clear bread.

To made this in a dough , add all the ingredients to your breadmaker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

A dough’s first rising can be done in the fridge overnight . This slows down the time it takes to rise to double its size, giving it a deeper flavour. It’s also a great limit , as you can work it night before , then finish it off the next day.