Hot Chile Pepper Twists
Submitted by Ruairi
Hot chile pepper twists: braided cilantro-cornmeal bread stuffed with refried beans, green chilies, olives, salsa, and Monterey Jack. A Tex-Mex stuffed loaf that pulls apart in golden ropes.
YIELD
1 recipePREP
30 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
3 hrsThis is what happens when a stuffed bread goes on vacation to the Southwest. A cornmeal-flecked yeast dough folded around refried beans, green chilies, black olives, salsa, and melted Monterey Jack, then braided into a showy twist that bakes up golden and pull-apart.
The cilantro gets added near the end of kneading so it doesn’t get pulverized into green specks by the bread machine.
The braiding technique looks intimidating but it’s just strips. After rolling the dough into a 15×10 rectangle and loading the filling down the center third, you cut 6 evenly spaced strips on each side, angled down toward the filling. Fold the strips over alternately, like lacing up a shoe, which creates that classic braided-loaf look.
Tucking the end flaps under seals everything closed so the filling doesn’t leak during baking.
A full hour of final rise is important, under-proofed twists come out dense. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 30 minutes until the cheese bubbles at the seams and the crust is deep golden.
Cool 10 minutes before slicing so the filling sets enough to hold its shape.
Kitchen Tips
- Check dough hydration 10 minutes before end of the kneading cycle, add flour or water as needed for a soft but not sticky dough
- Drain the black olives thoroughly before layering, wet filling leaks through the dough
- Cut the strips at a slight downward angle toward the filling, straight strips don’t braid as cleanly
- Use a pizza wheel for clean cuts, a knife can drag the dough and distort the strips
Variations
- Add ½ pound of cooked chorizo to the filling for a meaty version
- Swap Monterey Jack for pepper jack for extra heat
- Brush the baked loaves with melted butter and sprinkle with flaky salt for a richer finish
Ingredients
Directions
Place all dough ingredients except cilantro in pan.
Program for knead and first rise.
Program a kitchen timer to go off 10 minutes before the end of the machine’s second kneading cycle.
Check the dough when timer goes off and adjust with flour or water if needed.
Add the cilantro. While the dough is rising, prepare the filling. When dough is finished transfer to lightly greased work surface. Divide the dough in half. Working with one half at a time, roll it into a 15 x 10 inch rectangle. Transfer the rectangle to a lightly greased cookie sheet. Visually divide the rectangle into thirds, each 10 x 5 inch. Working on the middle third of the dough, and leaving 1 inch of space at each end, layer on half the beans, half the olives, half the chilies, half the salsa and then half the cheese. Using a rolling pizza wheel or a sharp knife, make 6 evenly space 5 inch long cuts in the dough, cutting from the edge of one side of the unfilled sides just to where the filling starts. Repeat with the other unfilled side. Fold the small piece of dough at each end of the filling, tucking them underneath the dough on the opposite side. Repeat the entire process with the other piece of dough. Tent the twists with lightly greased plastic wrap and set them aside to rise for 1 hour, or until they’re noticeably puffy. Bake the twists in a preheated 375℉ (190℃) F oven for 30 minutes. Remove the twists from the oven, transfer them to a wire rack, and allow them to cool for 10 minutes before cutting.
Comments