Lemon Pepper Bread

As you bring a piece of this Lemon Pepper Bread to your mouth, you’ll smell a hint of citrus that offers a wonderful contrast to the mild heat of the cracked pepper that follows. Not quite sweet and sour, but close.

I’ve always been a fan of lemon pepper seasoning. I put it on sandwiches, salads, pasta – pretty much any food that makes sense as a savory dish. There’s something wonderful about contrasting flavors… I’ve started a tiny collection of them:

This bread is very soft with a light and fluffy crumb. I used it for turkey sandwiches and served it plain as well. Someday, I’d like to try this combination in a bagel recipe. If you’ve never zested a lemon before, here’s a nice article to bring you up to speed.

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Lemon Pepper Bread

As you bring this bread to your mouth, you'll smell a hint of citrus that offers a wonderful contrast to the mild heat of the cracked pepper that follows. Not quite sweet and sour, but close.

Prep Time 2 hours

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Servings 2 loaves

Author Mark Oppenneer

Ingredients

• 2 scant tablespoons (or 2 ¼-ounce packages) active dry yeast
• 2 cups warm water about 110 degrees
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons soft butter
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 eggs slightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon of cracked black pepper
• 1 lemon both zest and juice
• 5½-6½ cups unbleached flour

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, stir yeast into water to soften. Add sugar, butter, salt, eggs, pepper, lemon zest and juice, and 2 cups flour. Beat vigorously for two minutes.
2. Gradually add flour, ¼ cup at a time, until the dough begins to pull away from the side of the bowl.
3. Turn dough out onto a floured work surface. Knead, adding flour a little at a time, until you have a smooth, elastic dough.
4. Put dough into an oiled bowl. Turn to coat the entire ball of dough with oil. Cover with a tightly woven towel and let rise until doubled, about one hour.
5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly oiled work surface. Form dough into incredibly clever shapes like giraffes, spaceships, or lotus blossoms. Just kidding. Rolls and loaves are fine. I made six large muffins and two small loaves. This recipe will also make two regular-sized loaves. Place into well-greased loaf pans. Cover with a tightly woven towel and let rise until almost doubled, about 45 minutes.
6. About 10 minutes before baking, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
7. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the loaves reaches 190 degrees.
8. Immediately remove bread from pans and cool on a rack.