For the bread pots:

Ingredients (for 5 pieces)

• 600 g wheat flour 1050
• 300 g rye flour 997
• ½ cube of fresh yeast
• 570 ml water (approx. 38°C)
• 1 tsp honey
• 20 g salt
• 20 g dry sourdough
• 100 ml cold coffee 

For the starter dough, mix the flours in a large bowl and make a well in the middle with a wooden spoon. Crumble the yeast into the well and pour 200 ml of water over it. Add the honey and mix with the handle of a wooden spoon to form a dough. Cover with a cloth and leave to rise in a warm place for 15 minutes.

Add the salt, sourdough and the remaining 370 ml water to the starter dough and knead with the dough hook for 10 minutes to form a smooth dough.

Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour. (During this time, prepare everything for the chili con carne).

Place the dough on a floured work surface, divide into five equal pieces and shape into small round loaves. Place them on a floured baking sheet with the ends facing upwards, cover and leave to rise for 30-45 minutes.

During this time, heat the Merklinger to approx. 300-350°C.

Brush the loaves with coffee and place in the hot Merklinger. Bake on the fireclay stone (stone temperature approx. 160-180°C) at approx. 300-350°C top heat for approx. 35-40 minutes.


Leave the loaves to cool completely on a wire rack.


While the sandwiches are cooling, you have plenty of time to prepare the chili con carne.

For the chili con carne:

Ingredients (for approx. 10 people)

• 3 onions
• 3 carrots
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 1.5 kg minced beef
• 3 tbsp tomato puree
• 4 cl whisky
• 300 ml red wine
• 150 ml strong coffee
• 250 ml stock
• 3 tins of chunky tomatoes
• 1 tbsp thyme, dried
• Salt, pepper
• Chili flakes + cayenne pepper
• 3 tins of kidney beans (400g each)
• 1 tin of corn kernels (330 g each)
• Crème frâiche
• fresh sprigs of thyme to garnish

Peel and finely dice the onions. Wash, peel and finely dice the carrots.


Heat the oil in a cast-iron pan directly over the fire on the grill grate and fry the onions and carrots in it. Add the mince and fry until crumbly. Sauté the tomato purée. Deglaze with the whisky. Pour in the red wine, coffee and stock. Add the tomatoes and bring everything to the boil while stirring. Season with thyme, salt, pepper, chili and cayenne pepper.


Cover the pot with the lid and leave the chili con carne to simmer gently for 1 1/4 hours. (Now place the pot on the spacer grid on the firebrick.) Stir from time to time. An oven temperature of 180-200°C is sufficient during this time.


Drain the kidney beans and corn kernels in a sieve, stir into the chili and heat through for approx. 15 minutes. Depending on how fiery and spicy you like it, season the finished chili con carne again with chili, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.


Cut off the top quarter of the bread pots. Now carefully hollow out the loaves. Leave a rim at least 1 cm thick. (If you like, you can now bake the bread shells again briefly in the hot Merklinger). Fill with the hot chili con carne. Serve with crème frâiche and thyme. Serve immediately!

Caution: Allow the loaves to cool completely before hollowing them out, otherwise the crust may crack!

Tip:

Use the remaining bread crumbs to make crispy croutons or use for a bread salad.