pan gallego
rating:
This is a Spanish bread from Galicia.
350g strong white bread flour
115g wholemeal bread flour
2 tsp salt (I think this was a bit too much myself)
2 tbsp olive oil
20g fresh yeast
275ml lukewarm water
2 tbsp each of pumpkin and sunflower seeds
1 tbsp polenta
Sprinkle a baking sheet with the polenta.
Combine flours and salt in a large bowl.
Mix the yeast with the water, add to the flours with the yeast liquid and the olive oil, mix to a firm dough, then turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes. (hint: food mixer with dough hook. You know it makes sense).
Place in an oiled bowl, cover with oiled clingfilm, leave to rise for a couple of hours.
Knock back, turn out onto a floured surface, knead in the seeds, and rest the dough (and yourself) for five minutes.
Form it into a round ball, make a twist in the top to form a cap, and place it on the baking tray. Cover with a large bowl ( I presume this is to constrain the shape) and leave to rise for 45 minutes or so.
Then, in a pre-heated gas 7 oven, place a roasting tray with about 1/2″ of warm water in it, on the bottom of the oven. Put the bread in above it, cook for ten minutes and then remove the water. Cook for a further 20-30 minutes (I found 20 was fine). Cool on a wire rack.
The polenta gives it a really nice crunchiness.
