Marc Brik's blog

I was curious (again) .... I was wondering if pepper, if baked, would hold its flavour and heat... well it holds it heat a little there is a nice tinge on the tip of the tong after a few bites. But I was supprised what a nice flavour black pepper actually has. 

The bread is light,soft with a nice crumb. So; all with all, it worked really well.

Black pepper bread

You can make this dough without the sourdough starter, remove the sourdough and increase the dried active yeast to 20gr. The sourdough just gives that nice extra flavour.

Almond ground raw                             20 gr

Black pepper corn toasted                    10 gr

Anise seed toasted                                 5 gr

12% white flour                                     850 gr

Rye meal stoneground                         50 gr

Semolina                                              100 gr

Gluten flour                                           25 gr

Water luckwarm                                  650 ml

Yeast active dried                                  10 gr

Sourdough starter 60% hydration      107 gr

Salt                                                         20 gr

a)      For a starter: mix rye, semolina, water, starter, yeast, 300 gr flour. Activate to double volume

b)      Meanwhile: dry toast pepper &  anise seed, cool and ground in spice grinder

c)       Once the starter has reached the volume, quickly mix ALL ingredients together

d)      Auto lease for 20 minutes

e)      Kneed to fine window pane test, this takes a while

f)       And yes the dough is sloppy

g)      Let it rise to double to triple the volume.

h)      Divide in 450gr portions

i)        Round up, roll out, roll up, quarter turn, roll out and roll up

j)        Place on baking tray, I use baking paper

k)      Preheat the oven to 200°C, top and bottom heat no fan

l)        Make incisions  any pattern you like, dust with rye flour

m)    Cover with a light cloth, and rest until double in volume

n)      Pre-steam the oven with a spray bottle and a little container of water in the oven for 2 minuteso)     

o)      Bake the loafs for 20 minutes

p)      Check by tapping the baked bread on the bottom, it needs to sound hollow

q)      Cool on a cooling rack

r)       Very nice with some old cheese, like mature Gouda.

s)       “Eet smakelijk” 

I am not a baker. I am a chef, and therefore I got my own ideas how food can work.

I wanted a cinnamon bagel fine crumb with a nice tough crust. No egg, butter, milk or oil.

Right I did do a little research about lye, baking soda, potato water, blanching, rolling and oven temperature

Make potato water:

• 180 gr nice golden potato can be any like annabel or agria
• 1 ltr water

cook the potato, no salt. cool down and blend

make a starter by mixing:

• 3 C bakers flour
• 1 C rye flour
• 1 t active dried yeast
• 3  1/2 C room temprature potato water (will be creamy)

place everything in a kitchen mixer use a hook, I use a kitchen aid, wait until everything is mixed and put on full until the dough starts to crawl up the hook. This can take 10 minutes.

Covered the bowl with plastic and left it to double in volume on the bench

Back under the machine with the hook and add:

• 3 C bakers flour
• 2 t malt flour
• 1/2 t dried active yeast

• 1  1/2 t iodised fine salt
• 1 C currants (dry)
• 2 t mixed spice (cinnamon, cardamom, anise, clove)

I placed the dough in a large plastic container with lid and wrapped it up in a blanket. until again double in volume.

divide into portions of 100gr and round up

 Bring a pan of water to the boil (apprx 5ltr) add 2 T malt flour mixed with a little cold water, and 1 T baking Soda

push your index finger through the middle and make an even hole in the middle (even better: roll into a ribbon and connect the ends with a little water, press to hold)

leave on baking paper covered tray for another 20 minutes under a cloth

blanch the bagels in the boiling water for 1 minute (1/2 minute each side, flip them over in the water) 

pre heat the oven top and bottom heat 260°C no fan (500°F) 

place back on the baking tray and let them cool, meanwhile they will rise a little

place the tray in the middle of the oven, lower the oven to 230-225°C (450°F) bake for 22 minutes 

let them cool!  let them cool! let them cool!  time will give the crust it's toughness and the bread can settle.

very nice with some aged cheddar, or dried salami it's worth the wait

Have fun making them and bon appetite