Palyanytsia (паляниця, round wheat loaf)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large mixing bowl
• •Bench scraper
• •Sharp bread lame or very sharp knife
• •Baking stone or heavy baking tray
• •Wire cooling rack

Instructions

1. 1

   Start the poolish

   The night before, stir the poolish flour, cool water, and tiny pinch of yeast into a loose paste. Cover it and put it in the fridge. By morning it should be bubbled across the top and smell faintly of beer, wheat, and something waking up.

   This is the step that does not forgive rushing. The poolish builds flavour and strength while you sleep, so the finished loaf tastes like bread, not just baked flour.
2. 2

   Mix the dough

   Scrape the poolish into a large bowl, add the lukewarm water and yeast, then mix in the flour and salt. Add the sunflower oil last. The dough should be soft and a little tacky, not wet enough to pour and not stiff like dumpling dough. Cover it for twenty minutes so the flour drinks properly.

3. 3

   Knead until alive

   Knead by hand for about ten minutes, or in a mixer until the dough pulls from the bowl and stretches without tearing at once. It should feel springy under your palms and smoother than when you started. If it sticks, oil your hands lightly instead of burying it in flour.

4. 4

   Let it rise

   Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover it, and leave it until it has doubled and looks full of breath. A warm kitchen moves faster, a cold one slower. Press one floured finger into the side; if the dent fills back lazily, the dough is ready.

5. 5

   Shape the round

   Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape it into a tight round, pulling the edges underneath until the top is smooth. Set it seam-side down on a floured tray or peel. The skin of the dough is what will hold the kozyr, so make it taut without tearing it.

6. 6

   Proof and slash

   Cover the shaped loaf and let it rise until it feels airy but still has strength. Heat the oven to 230C with a baking stone or heavy tray inside. Just before baking, make one deep curved slash across the upper third of the loaf, like a crescent eyebrow. Cut with confidence; a timid scratch will not lift into a visor.

7. 7

   Bake it bold

   Slide the loaf onto the hot stone or tray and bake until the crust is deep golden and the cut has lifted into its kozyr. Lower the oven to 200C once the loaf has sprung and continue until the underside sounds hollow when tapped. That hollow knock is Aunt Nadia's "until it sounds right."

8. 8

   Cool before slicing

   Let the bread cool on a rack for at least an hour before slicing. I know. Cruel. But hot crumb tears and turns gummy under the knife, while cooled crumb pulls apart softly and cleanly. The heel is yours.

Chef Tips

• •Bread flour gives the kozyr better lift because it has more strength. Plain flour will still make bread, just a softer, flatter one.
• •The dough should be tacky, not dry. A little oil on your hands is better than adding fistfuls of flour and making the crumb tight.
• •For a bit more modern loaf, replace 50g of the white flour with wholemeal wheat flour. Keep the rest white so the palyanytsia still has its soft pull-apart crumb.
• •Store the cooled loaf wrapped in a clean tea towel for one day, then slice and freeze what you won't eat. Toast from frozen and brush with a little sunflower oil.
• •If your slash does not lift high, the bread is still bread. Next time shape tighter and cut a little deeper.

Advance Preparation

• •The poolish rests overnight in the fridge, 8 to 14 hours. Start it before bed and bake the next day.
• •The loaf keeps well for sandwiches the next day. For longer storage, slice once fully cool and freeze.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 77g)