Rustic bread

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 200 g wheat flour type 405
• 150 ml water, very cold
• Fresh yeast, about 3 – 4 g from the cube
• 21 g fresh yeast, minus the yeast from the pre-dough
• 500 g wheat flour type 405
• 350 ml water, very cold
• 15 g salt
• 50 g flour for the work surface

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Rest time approx. 1 day 5 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 day 6 hours 45 minutes

Pan casero, Spanish bread, farmer’s bread

You will need a cast iron pot or a Roman pot. Day 1: For the starter: Take about 3-4 g of yeast and dissolve it in 150 ml of cold water. Then add the flour. Mix everything well with a fork in a bowl. Tip: Do not use a food processor or hand mixer, as the starter will be too smooth. The bowl should then be about a quarter full. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the starter overnight. Day 2: For the main dough: Dissolve the remaining yeast in water in a large bowl (at least 5 liters with a lid), add salt and flour. Mix everything well with a fork. Then add the starter. Spread everything evenly with a fork (a rubber spatula also works very well). Tip: Please do not use a machine, as the flour cannot absorb the water as quickly. Once everything is well mixed, cover the bowl and let the dough rise at room temperature for 6-8 hours. After the rising time, pour the dough onto a very well-floured surface. Tip: Do this very, very slowly with a rubber spatula. YOU NEED THE DOUGH IN ONE PIECE! Flour the top of the dough and your hands. Fold the long dough over from bottom to top, turn it 90 degrees, and stretch it slightly. Then fold it again, turn it… etc. Repeat this 6 or 7 times. Then roll the bread into a ball. Make sure there is enough flour under the ball so it doesn’t stick. Place the bowl over the loaf for 15 minutes. Now preheat the oven to 200°C (top/bottom heat). Lower the oven rack as far as possible. After 15 minutes, use scissors to make 4 even slits in the bread. Sprinkle the bread lightly with flour and place it under the bowl for another 15 minutes. Use these 15 minutes to heat up the cast-iron pot in the oven (Petromax FT 4.5 produces by far the best results). A Roman pot works well too, but please don’t soak it in water! When the pot is hot after 15 minutes, carefully place the bread in it, put a lid on it, and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the lid and bake for another 30 minutes. Then immediately remove the bread from the pan and let it cool for 2 hours. In southern Italy, the bread is baked without salt. This is good for bruschettas, but otherwise, I find it too bland.