Pan Candeal Castellano

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Digital kitchen scale
• •Large mixing bowl
• •Sturdy rolling pin
• •Heavy baking sheet or baking stone
• •Sharp bread blade or thin knife
• •Skewer or dinner fork
• •Wire cooling rack
• •Instant-read thermometer, optional

Instructions

1. 1

   Weigh and mix

   Whisk the instant yeast through the flour in a large bowl. If you're using fresh yeast, dissolve it in the measured water instead. Add the salt, pour in all the water, and squeeze and press the mixture together until no loose flour remains. The dough will be much firmer than ordinary bread dough and may look unwilling at first. Don't add more water. Pésalo, no lo adivines, weigh it, don't guess.

   Scrape the bowl and press every dry fragment into the dough. Extra water would make the rolling easier, but it would also open the crumb and take the loaf away from pan candeal.
2. 2

   Rest the stiff dough

   Turn the dough onto an unfloured work surface and knead firmly for 5 minutes, using the heel of your hand to press rather than trying to stretch it. Cover it with the upturned bowl and leave it for 10 minutes. This short rest lets the flour absorb the water and makes the first rolling possible without changing the loaf's tight character.

3. 3

   Roll and fold

   Flatten the dough with a sturdy rolling pin, then roll it into a rectangle about 1cm thick. Fold it in thirds like a letter, turn it a quarter turn, and roll it out again. Repeat this rolling, folding, and turning 12 times, taking about 15 to 20 minutes. This is the bregado or sobado, the hard working of the dough that compresses large pockets and produces the fine, even crumb. It will change from rough and cracked to smooth, pale, and satiny.

   If the dough fights the pin and springs straight back, cover it and rest it for 5 minutes, then continue. Don't dust it with flour unless it truly sticks, which a dough this dry seldom does.
4. 4

   Shape it tight

   After the final pass, fold the edges into the centre to make a compact parcel and pinch the joins firmly. Turn it seam-side down. Cup both hands around the dough and draw it against the work surface until you have a taut round loaf about 18cm across and 5cm high. Press out any obvious trapped bubbles as you shape; an airy pocket is not a prize in this bread.

5. 5

   Give one short proof

   Set the loaf on baking parchment, cover it so the surface cannot dry, and leave it at 24 to 26°C for 45 to 60 minutes. It should grow by about half, not double. Press it gently with one fingertip: the mark should return slowly and remain faintly visible. If it becomes soft and swollen, it has gone too far for the close crumb pan candeal needs.

6. 6

   Mark the loaf

   While the loaf proves, heat the oven and a heavy baking sheet or stone to 220°C conventional, or 200°C fan. Just before baking, cut a clean cross about 5mm deep across the top with a sharp blade. Prick each quarter three times with a skewer or fork. These marks give the expanding dough somewhere controlled to move instead of letting the crust split wherever it pleases.

7. 7

   Bake pale and firm

   Slide the loaf, still on its parchment, onto the hot sheet or stone. Lower the oven immediately to 200°C conventional, or 180°C fan, and bake for 32 to 36 minutes. The crust should be firm and straw-gold, not dark brown. The centre should reach 95 to 97°C. This is a dense loaf, so its underside gives a quieter hollow sound than an airy bread.

8. 8

   Cool before cutting

   Move the loaf to a rack and leave it untouched for at least 90 minutes. Cutting it early compresses the fine crumb into a damp line around the knife. Once cold, it should slice cleanly, with tiny, even cells and no large holes. Siempre sale, si lo sigues.

Chef Tips

• •Harina candeal is the right flour when you can find it. Otherwise use a fine unbleached all-purpose flour with 10.5 to 11.5% protein. Very strong bread flour makes the rolling harder and the crumb more rubbery; coarse semolina gives you another bread entirely.
• •Use a sturdy rolling pin and a firm work surface. A domestic pasta machine isn't built for a piece of dough this stiff, and its gears have done nothing to deserve the punishment.
• •Keep the water at 225g even when the mixture looks dry. The low hydration and repeated rolling are the dish, not inconveniences to correct.
• •Watch the loaf rather than the clock during its single proof. It should increase by about half and still feel firm. Waiting for it to double produces a lighter, coarser crumb that may be pleasant bread, but it isn't pan candeal.
• •The loaf keeps well because its crumb is compact. Store it cut-side down under a clean cloth or in a paper bag for up to three days. It is particularly good in thick slices with Castilian stews, sheep's-milk cheese, or olive oil.

Advance Preparation

• •Bake the loaf several hours before the meal, or one day ahead. Its crumb needs at least 90 minutes to set, and it slices especially neatly once fully cold.
• •Keep the cooled loaf wrapped in a clean cloth or paper bag at room temperature. Don't refrigerate it, because the cold makes the crumb stale faster.
• •For longer storage, cut the cold loaf into thick slices and freeze them in a well-sealed bag for up to one month. Thaw at room temperature or toast directly from frozen.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 59g)