← Nouns Cooking · Spanish

Ingredients

• 100 g bread flour, for the starter
• 60 ml lukewarm water
• 1 g fast-action dried yeast
• 500 g bread flour, plus extra for dusting
• 300 ml lukewarm water
• 2 g fast-action dried yeast
• 10 g Salt
• 15 ml Olive oil
• 25 g lard, soft (traditional) (optional)

Method

1. Mix the starter flour, water and yeast into a stiff dough, cover and leave at room temperature for 2 hours until puffy.
2. Put the dough flour in a large bowl with the yeast and salt, add the water, oil, lard (if using) and the starter, torn into pieces. Mix, then knead for 10 min until smooth, soft and slightly tacky.
3. Cover and leave to rise for 1½ hours, until doubled.
4. Tip out onto a floured surface and divide into 8 pieces. Shape into balls, then flatten each one with your palm into an oval about 2 cm thick. Set them on a floured baking tray, dust generously with flour and cover with a cloth.
5. Prove for 1 hour, until puffy. Heat the oven to 240°C (465°F) with a tray of water on the bottom shelf.
6. Bake for 9–11 min, until risen but still pale with just a hint of colour; they should stay soft. Cool on a rack under a cloth to keep the crust tender.

Tips

• Lard is traditional and gives a softer crumb, but makes them no longer vegetarian or vegan.
• They freeze well: split them first, then toast straight from frozen.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Bon Viveur Hogarmanía (Joseba Arguiñano) Directo al Paladar