Asiago Black Pepper Bread
No kneading is required for this easy, artisanal-quality Asiago Black Pepper Bread. Simply mix together six ingredients before bed, shape the dough into a boule in the morning, then bake it after a brief rest. Slather with butter or serve with a fresh Tomato Burrata Salad.
Sometimes when I dine out at a restaurant, I can hear my mother’s voice in my head saying, “Don’t fill up on bread before the meal comes.”
But I have to admit that one of my favorite parts about going out to a really nice restaurant is exactly that: the bread.
Last year for our anniversary, Pete and I went to a restaurant that had a dedicated bread man who rolled a big cart of freshly baked loaves from table to table, and that guy was practically my best friend for the night. He had 15 different types of bread to choose from, and as he described each loaf I secretly wanted a slice of every single one.
By the end of our feast, he came to say goodbye and admitted he tried not to come to my table after a while so I’d still have room for the meal. Ha!
What can I say? I have a true appreciation and love for artisanal-quality bread, especially when it’s a loaf with a spongy interior and a crackly, bubbled golden crust.
Slice or tear pieces, and slather with butter. Maybe sprinkle on a little sea salt. Repeat. Be happy.
In my years as a cook, I haven’t made as much bread as I would have expected, given how much I love it. There’s pretty much one reason for that. If you want a pro-level loaf of bread with a perfectly golden, crackly crust and a light, spongy interior, you need steam. That’s the secret!
Steam delivered in the first stage of baking keeps the crust soft and allows the bread to fully expand while the yeast is still active.
After this initial stage of baking, the oven continues baking the loaf without steam, allowing the crust to begin drying out and fully caramelize into a glossy, golden exterior.
Artisan bread bakers use special steam bake ovens that deliver moisture at the perfect time to create a light and crusty loaf. Over the years I’ve tried several work-arounds, such as placing a tray of boiling water into the oven with the bread, but the results were always lackluster. I was jealous of these fancy-sounding steam ovens.
Several weeks ago I got invited to cook in the Bon Appétit Kitchen at 1 World Trade Center, which is outfitted with the latest and greatest Samsung appliances, and oh, I got giddy.
When I read that their double wall oven has a steam bake feature that delivers moisture at specific times, my mind immediately went to bread. I have always felt that my bread never looked as good as the artisanal baker’s loaves, and now I’d be able to test it out.
When I saw the loaf of bread I developed baked in the Samsung Double Wall Oven, I was floored. The loaf was so golden on the outside, and it also baked up so much bigger and lighter than my loaf at home.
But don’t despair if you don’t have this oven, because I have a work around of throwing ice cubes into the oven during baking that will help create some steam too.
I developed this recipe as a hybrid of several popular methods, with elements from Jim Lahey’s famous No Knead Bread, Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François’s 5-Minute Artisan Bread, and a flavor profile that riffs off a Parmesan peppercorn bread I’ve been eating since I was a little girl.
Cooks of every level can make it and wow everyone they know. I’m thinking of mailing loaves out for the holidays this year!
How to Make Asiago Black Pepper Bread:
To make the bread, combine flour, water, yeast, salt, Asiago cheese, and coarsely cracked black pepper in a bowl.
Give it a stir with a sturdy spatula until the ingredients are well distributed and a shaggy dough forms.
Cover the dough, and let it rest overnight in the fridge. When you wake up in the morning it will look bubbled and sticky!
Grab the dough with clean, dry hands and shape it into a boule.
I find that it’s just on the edge of stickiness where I don’t need to add flour to my hands, but feel free to use a little bit if you need to.
Place the boule onto a parchment paper–lined baking sheet, and let it rest for 45 minutes.
Toward the end of the resting period, preheat the oven to 450° and score the bread as desired (I like an “x” right in the middle). This helps the bread bake up taller and lighter in the oven.
Bake the bread for 35 minutes, until the loaf is golden and crusty on the outside, and reads at 200° on the inside. Then let the loaf cool for 45 minutes.
Once the bread has cooled, I like to slice it into thick pieces, so I can really enjoy the spongy, light interior and big hunks of crackly crust. Enjoy!
Asiago Black Pepper Bread
Ingredients
- 15 oz bread flour, by weight (3 cups, measured)
- 1 1/2 cups warm water 110°
- 4 oz Asiago cheese crumbled
- 1 tbsp cracked black pepper
- 2 1/4 tsp rapid rise yeast (one 1/4 oz packet)
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir to combine all ingredients using a sturdy spatula or wooden spoon, until the pepper and cheese look evenly distributed, and no flour streaks remain. The dough will look very wet and sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, for 10–12 hours.
- Place a piece of parchment paper on top of a baking sheet.
- Remove dough from the refrigerator, then scrape downward against the sides of the bowl with a spatula so the dough is balled at the bottom. Grab the dough with dry hands, and shape it into a boule using the palms of your hands for about 30 seconds. This process of shaping creates surface tension, which will help the bread bake up into a beautiful dome instead of spreading flat. Place the boule onto the parchment paper–lined baking sheet for 45 minutes, uncovered.
- 20 minutes before the 45-minute resting period ends, preheat the oven to 450°.
- Using a razor or very sharp knife, score the boule as desired, such as with three parallel slashes, an “x” shape, etc.
- If you have the Samsung Double Wall Oven with the steam bake feature, bake the loaf for 35 minutes, until the loaf is golden brown and crusty on the outside, and has an internal temperature of 200°, as measured with an instant-read thermometer inserted into the side of the loaf and into the center.
- If you have a regular oven, place the bread into the oven and throw a handful of ice cubes onto the bottom surface of the oven along with it and quickly close the door. Bake for 35 minutes, or until 200F inside.
- Let the loaf cool for at least 45 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
Post updated in March 2020. Originally published in June 2017.
This post is sponsored by Samsung. All opinions are my own.
42 Comments on “Asiago Black Pepper Bread”
The bread turned out amazing!!! 😀 😀 😀 So soft on the inside and crusty on the outside! WOW!!!
Do you have any recommendations for adjusting this recipe for a bread machine?
I’ve never owned a bread machine, so unfortunately can’t advise here. But maybe someone else will see your comment and can share some tips.
Are there any adaptations that need to be made if one doesn’t have the steam bake setting on one’s oven? Thank you.
Follow the instructions in the notes section of the recipe box, it will produce similar results. Enjoy!
I used parmesan instead because that is just what I had in my kitchen at the time. I also just made it by kneading it and letting it rise for an hour on the work surface. Then I plaited it and let it rise for another house on the work surface ….and it came out great!
Hey! Is this a type of sourdough bread? I am trying to imitate an old trader joe’s bread called peppercorn asiago bread. Thanks!
Hi Sarah, a sourdough bread needs a sourdough starter, which this does not have. With that said, you should give this one a try. Sounds very similar to the TJs!
I’m confused. You put it in the refrigerator over night, not just on the kitchen counter?
Yes, that’s correct. Do you have a question in mind?
silly question but is 4 ounces of cheese equal to about a cup?
I’m going to try these ingredients with a variation on the NY Times faster no knead recipe, which sits for only 3 hours… hoping it will be a success! 🙂 thanks!
Hi Soo, that sounds about right! Enjoy!
I can’t WAIT to try this bread! … ice cubes and all! Thank you!!!
I just made it two days ago because my brother is in town. It’s so good!
Yes where exactly do we throw the cubes? On the bread tray itself?
I toss them right into the bottom of the oven, and quickly shut the door. You will see it generates a lot of steam.
Throw the ice cubes where, exactly?
Hi Susan, I toss them right into the bottom of the oven, and quickly shut the door. You will see it generates a lot of steam.
I can’t believe how good this bread was, and how easy it was to make. I’m going to try some different flavors soon. Thank you.
Has anyone actually tried this recipe ? Dawna, your recipe sounds scrumptious and I’m sure it is delicious , but I would like to see comments on how the bread turned out for us novice bread bakers.
I myself am more of a cake baker and main meals, but I absolutely love, love bread and this one sounds delicious and easy. Commenters, have you tried it yet and what did you think?
Hi Catherine, you should try it! As I mentioned in the post, this is a hybrid of two very reliable and easy recipes from rockstar bread bakers and I’ve made it many times. It’s very easy and so tasty. If you are already cooking and baking, you should be good to go.
In lieu of the steaming feature, do you think I could succeed by putting this into my clay bowl and cover for the first 30 minutes then removing the lid for the last part?
Hi Dawna, that sounds very similar to Jim Lahey’s method of using a dutch oven and I know a lot of people swear by it. I have found the ice cube method to be more effective but if you test out a few different ways, you will find what works best for you. Sounds like you’ve tried the clay bowl thing before!
Would this turn out if it was left longer than the 10-12 hours? (Or even a shorter time period?).
Hi Linde, you might be able to do 8 hours but I wouldn’t go less than that. The time you let it sit is the substitution for the kneading. Time lets the gluten develop instead of working the dough. I wouldn’t go more than 16 hours on the top end.
I am not a big bread person…unless there’s really awesome bread. And then it’s hard for me to pull away from it! What a lovely loaf – I love that it includes Asiago and black pepper. And that oven, what a fabulous feature!
Oh…..I’m a bread-lover, too. I think sometimes I’d rather skip the entree and have bread and a glass of wine! Your bread looks INCREDIBLE…and I’m going to be right there with you, adding this oven to my Christmas list!