Pepper Bread

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons white sugar

2 teaspoons coarse ground black pepper

2 (.25 ounce) packages fast-rising yeast

1 teaspoon salt

1 ¼ cups water

3 tablespoons soft margarine

1 egg

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a tube pan.

Stir together 3 cups of flour, the sugar, pepper, yeast, and salt together in a large bowl.

Heat water and margarine to 130 degrees F (54 degrees C) in a saucepan over low heat. Pour the hot water-margarine mixture into the flour; quickly stir a few strokes to combine. Stir in 1 egg, beat the mixture to form a loose batter, and stir in 1 1/2 cups of flour. Knead the dough on a floured work surface until smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes.

Divide the dough into 12 equal-sized pieces, form them into rolls, and place them into the bottom of the prepared pan. Set the pan into a sink of hot water (about 115 degrees F/46 degrees C) until the rolls have doubled in size, about 15 minutes. Beat egg yolk with 1 tablespoon of water until thoroughly combined; brush the dough with the beaten egg yolk mixture.

Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 25 minutes.