Black Pepper Bread Recipe time! Today is the official first day of winter! Meh, I am not a fan of winter. I HATE busting ice on water troughs, toting buckets of water to refill troughs because the water is off, delivering kids and calves during freezing weather, putting on blankets and hanging heat lamps, running the heater in the house, which dries out my sinuses and my skin.

My psoriasis, which I contracted after multiple blood transfusions several years ago is ALWAYS BAD in the winter. Basically, I spend the next 90 days waiting for spring! The only thing I really like about winter is the comfort food that gets cooked during the cold weather. I love soups and stews, crockpot meals, a good pot of chili or beans. It’s also a great time to bake. Nothing goes better with a great pot of creole onion soup than a fresh baked loaf of black pepper bread! Here’s the recipe…

Ingredients:

• 5 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons melted unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons freshly cracked or ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water(about 110 degrees)
• A tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 3 3/4 cup all purpose flour

Instructions:

• grease bottom and sides of loaf pan with 2 teaspoons of butter and dust with 1 tablespoon of the pepper, tapping out any excess.
• In a large bowl dissolve yeast in water.
• Add sugar, salt, egg and 2 tablespoons of the pepper and whisk until thoroughly blended.
• Add flour and 4 tablespoons of butter and mex gently with your hands until you have a smooth ball of dough. Press dough gently into loaf pan, cover with a towel, place in a warm spot an allow to rise for one hour. The dough should have risen up over the rim of the pan.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Make a shallow slit in the dough, lengthwise, drizzle with remaining butt and sprinkle the top with the remaining pepper.
• Bake until brown and firm, about 30 minutes.
• Remove from oven and pan and allow to cool on rack before serving.

Enjoy the Black Pepper Bread Recipe! Check out more Arcola Feed recipes here.