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cheese and cracked black peppercorn bread

Suggested loaf tin size added. However it is only a suggestion feel free to use larger or smaller tins (or none at all- just shape the dough into a round and put it on a baking tray).

7oz coarse wholegrain flour
9oz strong white flour
4oz grated vintage cheddar (or something similarly strong)
1-2 tbsps ground black peppercorns
1oz fresh yeast
10-12 floz tepid water.
1 tbsp vegetable oil or small knob of butter.

Mix the yeast with the tepid water and throw in about a tsp of sugar, leave to one side for about half an hour.

Place the flour, cheddar, pepper and oil/butter into a bowl and then slowly add the yeast liquor, mixing it in and then kneed the dough for a good 10 minutes. Otherwise, place the ingredients into your Kenwood Chef with dough hook attachment, switch to slowest setting and slowly pour in the yeast liquor and then leave to run for 5 to 10 minutes. The finished dough should have the firmness and texture of the inside of a maidens thigh.

note: I've found the amount of water needed depends on quality of the local water. Your aim here is to get a firm dough that's not too sticky. While there's no problems making a wet dough (recipes like ciabatta require a wet dough), you run the risk of having your loaf "fly" or "fall" on you when you put it in the oven.

Place dough in bowl and cover with a damp tea towel. Leave until the dough has doubled in size. Then turn out the dough and knock down. The aim is to get the dough back to (nearly) the size it was pre-rise.

Turn on oven to 200 degrees C. Place a shallow baking tray at the bottom of the oven.

Put dough into loaf tins (I find 1lb loaf tins to be the best) and cover again and leave to rise. Remove the tea towel when the dough starts to touch it and then leave to rise for a further 5 minutes. Then slice the top of the loaf with a serrated knife (don't slice the top if you are working with a wet dough as this will cause the dough to "fall") and place in the oven. Pour some water into the baking tray and then close and leave for 30 minutes.

Tip the loaf out of the tin and tap the bottom. You should hear a good knock and feel the tap with your other hand. Cut off the crust and slaver with lots of butter and eat while still warm with butter running down each sides of your chin.


2 comments to this

ramtops said on 16 Dec 2006 at 13:31:43:

this has been on my list to try, and I made it this morning. However, I'm not very experienced at making bread, and the recipe doesn't say what size loaf tins to use. in the end, I bunged it all in a 2lb tin, and it was lovely, but it should have had another five minutes or so. And it stuck - but we had it toasted for lunch and it was gorgeous. I used 3 oz gruyere (because that's what I had to hand), and I used 1/2 oz of dried yeast.

hem said on 18 Dec 2006 at 09:51:33:

bread dough sticking to tins is usually a sign that the tins haven't been "proved". You can get around this by putting a light dusting of flour on the inside of the tin or oil/butter the tin before use.

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posted by hem on 21 Feb 06 - 8401 views

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