A few weeks ago, we had an end-of-summer porch party (we do love our porch) and invited several hundred people (less than 20 actually). In preparation, I got all Martha Stewarty (real word) and made Turtle Bean & Black Pepper Crisps with Bespoke Cheese Spread (see below).



Turtle Bean & Black Pepper Crisps
A few weeks ago, we had an end-of-summer porch party. I got all Martha Stewarty (real word) and made these Turtle Bean & Black Pepper Crisps with some yummy cheese spread.
Ingredients
- 1 scant tablespoon or 1 (¼-ounce) packages active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)
- ¼ cup black turtle beans soaked and softened overnight
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup raw agave
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3-4 cups unbleached flour
Instructions
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Soak turtle beans overnight. Rinse.
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In a large bowl, stir yeast into water to soften.
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Add sour cream, pepper, salt, agave, black beans, buttermilk, parmesan, garlic, salt, agave, and olive oil.
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Beat vigorously for two minutes.
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Gradually add flour, ¼ cup at a time, until the dough begins to pull away from the side of the bowl.
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Turn dough out onto a floured work surface. Knead, adding flour a little at a time, until you have a smooth, elastic dough.
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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.
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Turn the dough out onto a lightly oiled work surface.
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Shape the dough into thin rolls (think tiny baguettes) - you'll be cutting these into thin slices to make crisps, so shape them with this in mind. Cover with a tightly woven towel and let rise until almost doubled, about 45 minutes.
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About 10 minutes before baking, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
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Just before baking, cut a long slit down the length of the top of your dough.
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Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the loaves reaches 190 degrees.
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Immediately remove bread from pans or baking sheet and cool on a rack.
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Once cool, slice into thin pieces and place on a pizza screen.
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Broil for a minute or two on each side (experiment!) until you have the perfect crisps.
Recipe Notes
You can also, add butter, garlic, salt, etc. before broiling...
Bespoke Cheese Spread
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 package cream cheese
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- Your choice of yummy bits: shredded broccoli, chopped chives, garlic, salt, pepper, you get the idea...