Onion & Pink Peppercorn Twist Bread

A soft, enriched bread with a savory surprise inside!

Onion & Pink Peppercorn Twist Bread

1 package dry yeast (1 tab.)

¼ cup warm water

4 - 5 cups flour

½ cup butter, melted

½ cup milk

1 cup warm water

¼ cup sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1 egg, beaten 

Filling:

1 1/2 cups onion, finely chopped

8 slices diced bacon

¼ cup butter, melted

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

1 teaspoon crushed pink peppercorns, (or more, to taste)

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon paprika

-In large mixing bowl of an electric mixer, mix yeast and ¼ cup lukewarm water.  Let stand 5 minutes.  Stir in 2 cups flour, melted butter, milk, warm water, sugar, salt and egg.  Blend at low speed until moistened.  Beat 2 minutes at medium speed. 

-Change to the dough hook and mix in remaining flour on low speed for 6 - 7 minutes.  Remove the dough from the mixer and on a lightly floured surface knead the dough a few times by hand and shape into a ball, tucking the edges under. Oil a large bowl with 1 tablespoon oil, then place ball top side down in the oil and rotate and turn until the surface is coated lightly with oil. Place right side up in bowl.

-(If kneading by hand, work the dough with the mixer until the beater can’t handle it, then turn dough out onto a well-floured surface. Add more flour 1/2 cup at a time as you knead, pushing the dough with the heels of your hands and then folding it over itself. Put some muscle into it. As dough becomes sticky, continue adding just enough flour and kneading until dough is smooth - this will take 8 - 10 minutes. Shape dough into a ball by tucking and pulling edges under the ball. Then continue with the recipe below.)

-Cover and let rise in warm place until double in bulk (about 1 hour - 1 hour and 15 minutes). While dough is rising, prepare the filling then set it aside.

-TO PREPARE FILLING - Place chopped bacon in a medium skillet and cook until almost crisp. Add the onion and cook over low heat until the onions are tender and the bacon is crisp - about 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and cool.

-Place pink peppercorns in a small zip-lock bag and crush the peppercorns with a rolling pin or bottom of a heavy saucepan, until coarsely crushed. Combine cooled onion mixture, peppercorns, parmesan cheese, poppy and sesame seeds, garlic salt, paprika and melted butter and mix together.

-To test dough to make sure it has risen enough, poke a hole in the center with your finger. The hole should stay and not fill in completely. If it does, continue the rise for another 15 minutes then check again.

-Knead dough on floured surface a few times then divide into 3 equal pieces and shape each into a long roll (snake).  Let dough rest 5 minutes. Roll each piece into a 12 x 18 inch rectangle.  Let dough rest 5 minutes. Spread on filling, dividing evenly between the 3 strips and working to spread the filling down the length of each strip about 1 inch in from one long edge. 

-Starting with the long 18-inch edge, roll each strip tightly around filling.  Seal edges and ends firmly, pinching together.  Place strips on greased or parchment-lined cookie sheet, seam side down.  Press 3 strips together firmly at one end.  Braid the 3 strips together, keeping seams inside the loaf where they are not seen, whenever possible

-Cover and let rise in warm place until double in size (about 45 minutes).  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 35 minutes (until golden brown). (See how to test for doneness below.) Let cool completely before slicing. 

Let yeast rise in lukewarm water until dissolved and frothy - 5 - 10 minutes.

Add eggs and other ingredients to yeast mixture.

Knead dough with dough hook until smooth - about 7 minutes.

Knead a few times on floured surface and shape into a ball.

After bread has risen, poke a hole in center to see if it has risen completely. The hole will stay if the bread is risen enough.

Prepare onion, bacon, peppercorn, cheese mixture.

Divide risen dough into 3 equal portions and shape into long rolls.

Roll each piece into a rectangle and place filling along one long edge.

Roll dough tightly over filling, lengthwise.

Pinch seam edges firmly together.

Lay seam side down on prepared pan, pinch together at top and braid to the end.

Tuck under the edges tightly at each end, brush with egg wash and sprinkle with poppy seeds.

Bake until brown and golden, then cool completely.

Slice to reveal the onion peppercorn surprise inside!

PERSNICKETY NOTES:

**Lukewarm water is water that is not hot but just barely warm - about the temperature you would bathe a baby in. It is better to error on the side of being too cold than too warm, to avoid killing the yeast and a flat, brick-like resulting bread. You can even use cold water to proof your yeast, it will just take longer.

**The amount of flour used in bread or roll recipes varies, depending on the moisture in the flour, the moisture in the air and the precise amounts of the other ingredients (as in the size of the eggs.) That’s why recipes such as this one indicate “4 - 5 cups flour”. The rule of thumb is to mix in enough flour until an electric mixer pulls the dough away from the sides of the mixing bowl and collects around the dough hook. Or if by hand, until you can handle and knead the dough until it is no longer sticky and will form a smooth round ball.

**If you have an oven with a bread proofing feature, use that to help your bread rise faster. I don’t decrease my time, I just let my bread rise more. Enriched breads, such as this one, generally take longer to rise than breads without butter and eggs.

**Bread dough has to be convinced that it wants to change shape, so when rolling it out or forming it into new shapes, let it sit for a few minutes then come back to it again and it will roll and shape more easily.

**3 ways to test your bread for doneness:

-Does it look done - is it brown and golden and risen? Is the crust dry and firm? If unsure, I give it 5 more minutes.

-Turn your bread over and give the loaf a firm tap on the bottom. It will have a hollow sound if it is done.

-Use a thermometer. An enriched bread will be done at about 200 degrees internal temperature.