Ricotta Pepper Bread

1/2 cup milk, scalded and cooled to 115 degrees
2 packages active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 eggs
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon black pepper, coarsely ground
1/2 cup fresh chives, snipped
4 cups flour (to 4 1/2 cups)

Pour the milk into a large bowl and stir in the yeast and sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.

Beat the butter, ricotta, eggs, and salt into the yeast mixture with a whisk; then whisk in the pepper and chives. Stir in enough of the flour to make a soft dough. Knead on a floured surface 5-10 minutes. Place the dough in a greased large bowl and turn to coat. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Punch the dough down and let it rise again for about 1 hour.

Grease a cookie sheet. Punch the dough down, shape it into an oval loaf, cover and let rise for 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350. Bake about 45-50 minutes, occasionally spraying top with water. Author: unknown