CRACKED BLACK PEPPER & FIGGY BREAD

I love searching around the internet for websites that provide great recipes- but I must admit, often there is something wrong with the recipe. I always get the feeling that there is an ingredient missing or the oven temperature wasn't communicated correctly...as if they were trying to hide something from us on purpose! So despite some repeatedly bad experiences with certain cooking websites, I'll still continue visiting them online to drool over the pictures- but I won't try another recipe from that website again. I guess you call that a culinary e-loyalty or something...

However there is one site where it works each and every time: BBC Good Food. Plus it's in metric which is so very convenient for us Europeans! I have the habit of searching through BBC Good Food on a regular basis, and recently I found a great keeper: cracked black pepper & figgy bread. The end result was excellent, the kitchen smelt fabulous for an entire day, and the bread was devoured much quicker then I had imagined! What more could I ask for?

Ready to enjoy on it's own or with goat cheese which might just be the perfect match!

Recipe for Cracked black pepper & figgy bread (from BBC Good Food)

650g strong white flour
2 tsp cracked black pepper
2 tsp salt

7g sachet easy blend yeast
2 tbsp olive oil
425-450ml/¾ pint-16fl oz warm water
350g dried, ready-to-eat figs, roughly chopped

1. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, pepper, salt and yeast. Stir in the olive oil and enough warm water to form a soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 mins until smooth and elastic.

2. Put the dough in a lightly oiled, large bowl. Cover with oiled cling film and leave in a warm place for about 1 hr or until doubled in size. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. When the dough has risen, knead it again to incorporate the figs, by pushing the dough and lightly kneading them in. Don't overwork the dough; it can look quite rough.

3. Shape the dough into a rough oval and put on a lightly floured baking sheet. Using scissors, slash the top of the loaf and sprinkle over a little flour. Leave it to rise again, uncovered, until slightly swelled, about 10-15 mins (if the kitchen is warm). Bake for 40-45 mins until it sounds hollow when you tap it underneath, then cool on a wire rack.