Sunday 4 November 2007

Bread Baking Day #4: Chickpea & Pink Peppercorn Bread

or ..... How to trick your Meat-Man (or Woman) into eating MORE chickpeas


You have already heard about how I successfully converted my Meat-Man to eating chickpeas. Based on some of the comments from my previous post, it sounds like there are other Meat-Men out there who are not keen on chickpeas. Here is another way you can convert any chickpea phobic without them even knowing - in a bread.

Verdict: Two thumbs up from Quikong. We dipped it in garlic infused extra virgin olive oil. We also dipped it in regular extra virgin olive oil mixed with balsamic vinegar. He was surprised when I told him later that there were chickpeas (lots!) in the bread. I enjoyed the bread because it was moist and slightly dense. Perfect to have with a salad for a light lunch.

Bread Baking Day #04 is hosted by Baking History who has chosen the theme of “Bread & Spices”. I am fond of adding spices to both sweet and savoury breads. In this chickpea bread, the flavour of the cumin was too subtle and almost completely lost due to the spicy pink peppercorn. I would increase the amount of cumin next time.



Chickpea and Pink Peppercorn Bread

100ml water
100ml milk
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
125 g mashed canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
375g (3 ¼ cups) unbleached plain flour
2 tsp ground cumin
3 tsp fresh pink peppercorns in brine, drained
1 tsp salt
1 ½ tsp sugar
1 heaped tsp instant dried yeast
Extra milk, for brushing

Preparation
1. Mix the flour, yeast, cumin, salt and sugar together in a large bowl and make a well in the center.
2. Add the chickpeas, peppercorn, and all the liquid to the center of the flour and mix to a soft dough. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic.
3. Place in a lightly oil bowl, cover with a lightly oiled clear film and leave in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.
4. Turn the dough into a lightly floured surface and knock it back (punch down) lightly. Shape the dough into a round disc. Place it onto a baking sheet and cover with the oiled clear film and leave it to rise for 30-45 minutes. It will spread out in a slightly flat disc.
5. When the dough is almost double in size, preheat the oven to 200° C (400° F). Slash the top of the loaf with four diagonal cuts, then rotate and repeat to make a criss-cross effect. Brush the top of the dough with milk.
6. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.


Adapted From The Complete Book of Baking.

39 comments:

Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) said...

This looks delicious! Will have to try it on my meat-man....

Susan said...

A clever rouse, Nora, and just the kind of artisan bread I like. Nice protein boost, too.

Anh said...

Nora, what a great bread! You have done a wonderful job shaping it! Now I would love 1/2 loaf for breaky (Would be good with some eggs I intended to make ;)

Anonymous said...

That's a great idea! I will have to try it with my dad...

Anonymous said...

What a great idea! I happen to love chickpeas, so I think that with the use of soymilk instead of regular milk, this would be right up my alley! I'm definitely filing this one away to try later...

Deborah said...

What an interesting bread! It sounds wonderful!

Big Boys Oven said...

This is interesting..... I only tasted pink peppercorn in sashimi!

Anonymous said...

My, Oh my! I really love this bread idea. Imagine those who already love chickpeas. They'll go crazy for this bread. Another one for my list. ;-)

Paz

Cynthia said...

This is wickedly genius! Chickpea and peppercorn bread! :)

Nora B. said...

Lydia - Tell me if it works ;-)

Susan - Yes, the protein contents makes it a "well-balanced" bread.

Anh - Oh yes, that's a good idea. I think that it makes a good breakfast bread.

Em - Cool. If he doesn't like spicy stuff, maybe reduce the pink peppercorn or use green ones because it has a slight spicy kick when one bites into the peppercorn. Of course, it's not chili hot.

Hannah - Definitely one for chickpea lovers too. You can also use 200ml water and and add 1 tbsp of soy/vegan milk powder if you can find it.

Deborah - Thanks! And thank you for dropping by.

BBOven - I've not tried it in sashimi, I think that's a good combo.

Paz - I'm a chickpea lover and I did go crazy over it. I'm bringing some to work to have with my soup for lunch.

Cynthia - Thanks! It's good to have a pantry chockful of ingredients. One never knows what one feel like making.

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

Very clever Nora! This loaf would go wonderfully with the soup I am making for dinner.

Katie Zeller said...

That would be perfect with soup, too! I love the flavor of chickpeas...mon mari will never know...

Helene said...

Looks delicious and rather interesting! Must be great with a plated of grilled veggies!

Eva said...

Good to see your post - I would have almost forgotten about BBD#4! Your criss cross pattern looks really good, one more bread to try for me!

Anonymous said...

interesting bread! I like bread freshly out from the oven.

Wendy said...

Must try this out. It sounds delicious. Don't eat that much bread though. Wonder if the dough could be used to make buns instead. That way I could freeze them.
What do you think?

East Meets West Kitchen said...

What a great idea for chickpeas!

Kajal@aapplemint said...

I've never had chickpea bread ...! u've out done urself in the quest for feeding men ! haha ! this bread must taste like hommus bread ...would'nt it ..with the chickpeas already in it.

winedeb said...

Yes, you go Nora!!! Another great item with chickpeas. Looks awesome! Now, should I increase the cumin or go with the 2 teaspoons that you stated in the recipe???

Nora B. said...

Valli - Thanks! I had it with a Moroccan veg soup (store bought) for lunch yesterday.

Katie - Yes, they will never know... ;-)

Helen - Thank you. That's a good idea!

Eva - Thanks! The pattern made it easier to break off the bread. I used the pink peppercorn that you gave me. Now that you have cumin in your pantry, you can also use it in this bread. As for BBD#4, you have till Dec 1st to post it.

Tigerfish - I do too, usually with some butter! In this case, olive oil :-)

Wendy - I've aso responded to you question on your blog:
To make buns: Be sure to place them close together when you are shaping it so it becomes like a “batch buns" (i.e. they should touch each other after the 2nd rising). This keeps them moist. Under bake them (i.e. take them out of the oven while they are still pale but firm) and after cooling on a wire rack, you can freeze them. When you require the buns, stick them straight into a preheated oven till they turn golden brown. From my experience, this method of baking and freezing works for most breads/buns. Hope that helps.

East Meet West - Thank you!

Kate - Surprisingly, it didn't taste like humus at all. Maybe if I added tahini instead of olive oil, and maybe even some garlic powder instead of cumin, I could call it humus and peppercorn bread! :-) You've given me a great idea.

Deb - I did a little victory lap around him when he ate two pieces of the bread ;-) 2 tspn was what I used and it was not noticeable. I would increase the cumin. Cumin goes so well with chickpeas, I think.

Truffle said...

You are one clever lady. This looks absolutely brilliant!

Aimée said...

Wow,what a cool bread recipe. I am asking my self when on earth I will have some time to bake bread, and when I make the time I would love to try this out!

Kelly-Jane said...

It sounds delicious , and pink peppercorns too, so it looks extra special :)

Nora B. said...

Truffle - Awwww.... thanks *blush*

Aimée - Thanks. I understand - and I actually think you should prioritise chocolate recipes rather than bread :-)

Kelly-Jane - Thank you. I wish the pink came through more though.

Patricia Scarpin said...

I have never baked with chickpeas, Nora, and this would be the perfect way to start!

Oh for the love of food! said...

Ha! very clever, Nora! Aren't men a lot like kids, we have to 'disguise' veges, lentils and legumes in their food!
Your Chickpea bread looks Fabulous!

Anonymous said...

This bread looks great!
Thank you Nora for participating in BBD #04! :)
manuela

Stella said...

Woooo! Beautiful bread ahead!
I want a slice please:)

Anonymous said...

My meat and potatoes man is hard to fool...Lets see if I can with this recipe.

Susan from Food Blogga said...

A little trickery is justified if it means getting the man to eat more healthfully. I can't wait to try that myself.

Shaun said...

Nora B. ~ This is a great bread. I love how so few steps can yield such a great addition to the table. Any bread with cumin rocks, but I have to say that your inclusion of pink peppercorn is intriguing. I will give this a go as I love any toasted bread to serve with condiments or salad over the Summer.

Amanda at Little Foodies said...

This sounds really good and like you said perfect with a salad for lunch. Pink peppercorns added to shopping list!

Toni said...

I have a meat man who would probably eat chick peas without a problem. He eats everything without a problem!(Haven't tried chickpeas on him yet - the relationship is still pretty new.)

As for me, I adore them, and since I'm in a bread baking phase these days, I think this recipe looks like it just got on my "to do" list!

Rosa said...

For some strange reason I have no chickpeas in my cupboard. But you have got me thinking about making bread with a small percentage of chickpea flour...

Anonymous said...

Hi Nora,

the roundup for bbd#04 is now online. Thanks again for your entry!
manuela
http://bakinghistory.wordpress.com/2007/12/04/bbd-04-roundup/

Susan said...

I love chickpeas, never used them in bread before, and never had brined pink peppercorns. It looks great!

Anonymous said...

Oh, that's really a great idea. I love chickpeas and this recipe will come on my to-do-list. Thank you and greetings from lavaterra, munic, germany

ostwestwind said...

A great idea to use chickpeas! Thanks for charing the recipe.

Nora B. said...

Patricia – This bread is really easy to make and the chickpeas makes the bread more moist and almost creamy.

Carol – Thanks. Yes, I was very sneaky…. Lol!

Manuela – Thank you, and also thanks for hosting.

valentinA – Thanks. I actually have a quarter frozen….

Lydia Hamre – All the best! ;-)

Susan (Food Blogga) – I think so too. :-)

Shaun – This bread is truly easy to make. As I said in my post, I’ll have to increase the amount of cumin next time, or maybe use ground freshly toasted cumin seeds instead.

Amanda – It is a good bread for a light lunch with salad. Due to the protein in chickpeas, it’s makes for a well-rounded bread.

Toni – Oh, you made me laugh. All the best with chickpeas. I have a feeling that your meat man will like it. This bread recipe is so easy to make, let me know what you think of it when you make it.

Rosa – I think using chickpea flour is a great idea. I always have chickpeas in my pantry, but not chickpea flour even though I used to use it often when I was in Singapore.

Susan (Wild Yeast) – Thanks for dropping by. Chickpeas are a wonderful addition to bread, do give it a try.

Lavaterra - Thanks for your comment. I hope that you will enjoy this bread.

ostwestwind – You’re welcome! :-)