Pa de Pagès Català

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Digital kitchen scale
• •Large mixing bowl or straight-sided dough tub
• •Flexible dough scraper
• •Bench scraper
• •22 to 24cm banneton or linen-lined bowl
• •Baking stone or baking steel
• •Large oven-safe metal bowl to cover the loaf
• •Baker's razor or very sharp knife
• •Cooling rack
• •Instant-read thermometer, optional

Instructions

1. 1

   Build the levain

   Mix the 20g active starter with 65g water and 65g flour. Cover loosely and leave at 21 to 23°C for 8 to 12 hours. It is ready when it has at least doubled, the top is gently domed, and the inside is webbed with bubbles. Use it before the dome collapses.

   Mark the starting level on the jar. Pésalo, no lo adivines, and measure the rise as carefully as the ingredients.
2. 2

   Rest flour and water

   Put the 500g flour and 310g of the final-dough water in a large bowl. Mix until no dry flour remains; the dough will look rough and feel firm. Cover and leave for 30 minutes. This rest lets the flour drink properly and begins building strength without hard kneading.

3. 3

   Mix the dough

   Spread all 150g of ripe levain over the dough. Pinch, fold, and squeeze for 3 to 4 minutes until it is evenly incorporated, then rest for 10 minutes. Dissolve the 10g salt in the remaining 20g water, work it into the dough, and fold for another 3 to 5 minutes. The dough should feel supple and slightly tacky, not wet enough to pour.

4. 4

   Ferment and fold

   Cover the bowl and bulk-ferment the dough at about 24°C for 4 to 5 hours. During the first 90 minutes, give it three sets of folds at 30-minute intervals: lift one edge, stretch it without tearing, fold it across the middle, and repeat on all four sides. Leave it undisturbed after the last fold.

   Bulk fermentation is finished when the dough has risen by roughly half, holds rounded edges, and shows bubbles beneath the surface. In a cool kitchen it may need another hour. Let the dough decide.
5. 5

   Pre-shape the round

   Turn the dough onto a lightly floured worktop. Use a bench scraper to draw it into a loose round without pressing out its air. Cover with an upturned bowl and leave it for 20 minutes. The dough should relax enough to shape without springing straight back.

6. 6

   Shape by hand

   Dust the top lightly, turn the dough over, and fold the outside edges into the centre all the way around. Turn it seam-side down. Cup both hands behind the loaf and draw it gently across the bare worktop several times, rotating as you go, until the surface is taut and the loaf stands round. Stop before the skin tears.

7. 7

   Proof the loaf

   Line a 22 to 24cm bowl or banneton with linen and dust it well with the remaining flour. Set the loaf inside seam-side up, cover, and proof at 22 to 24°C for 1½ to 2½ hours. It is ready when it looks aerated and a floured fingertip pressed 1cm into the dough leaves a dent that returns slowly but does not disappear.

8. 8

   Heat the hearth

   At least 45 minutes before baking, put a baking stone or steel on the middle rack and heat the oven to 250°C, or 480°F. Have a large oven-safe metal bowl ready to cover the loaf during the first part of the bake. The long preheat matters because a lukewarm stone gives a pale, heavy base.

9. 9

   Score and bake

   Turn the loaf onto baking parchment or a floured peel, so the smooth side faces up. With a razor or very sharp knife, cut one decisive cross, each line about 10cm long and 1cm deep. Slide the loaf onto the hot stone, cover it with the metal bowl, and reduce the oven to 240°C, or 465°F. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the bowl carefully, lower the heat to 220°C, or 425°F, and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes.

10. 10

    Brown and cool

    The loaf is done when the crust is a deep chestnut brown, the base sounds hollow when tapped, and the centre reaches 96 to 98°C. If it is pale, give it another 5 minutes. Cool on a rack for at least 2 hours before cutting. The crumb is still setting inside, and an early knife leaves it gummy.

Chef Tips

• •Use medium-strength harina panificable if you can find it. If your only bread flour is very strong, blend 350g of it with 150g plain flour for the final dough. The crumb will stay tender instead of turning needlessly chewy.
• •A ripe levain smells lightly fruity and wheaten, not sharply vinegary. If it hasn't doubled, wait. Weak levain cannot be rescued by giving the shaped loaf another hour.
• •No baking stone? Preheat a heavy upside-down baking tray for a full 45 minutes and bake on that. The base may be a shade paler, but the loaf will still rise well. A lidded cast-iron pot also works: bake covered for 20 minutes and uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes.
• •Don't chase enormous holes. Pa de Pagès needs an irregular open crumb, but it must still hold olive oil, tomato, stew broth, and whatever else the table asks of it.
• •Keep the uncut loaf in paper or wrapped in a clean cotton cloth. Once cut, stand it on the cut face and cover the crust loosely. Plastic softens the crust, though a brief bake at 190°C restores some of it.
• •Older slices are exactly right for pa amb tomàquet: rub the crumb with a ripe tomàquet de penjar, add extra virgin olive oil and salt, and stop there.

Advance Preparation

• •For an easy schedule, build the levain at 10 p.m., mix the dough around 8 a.m., shape after lunch, and bake in the late afternoon. Let the loaf cool until evening before cutting.
• •For a morning bake, let the shaped loaf begin proofing at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate it, covered, for 8 to 12 hours. Score and bake it directly from the refrigerator. The crumb may be slightly tighter and the flavour a little sharper.
• •The fully cooled loaf keeps well for 3 to 4 days. For longer storage, slice it, freeze the slices in a sealed bag, and toast them directly from frozen.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 71g)