Pan de Horno (Spanish Bread)

adapted by Michael McCabe

Notes:

This recipe comes from a panadero. It may not come out exactly right the first time, but with practices the results are incredible. I've made a few mistakes, but now it comes out perfect and has that panaderma flavor.

Cuisine: Spanish

Categories: Baked, Bread

Source: June, 1990 issue of Bon Appetit

Copyright: November, 2005

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Software

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1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast

3 cups warm water (105 F to 115 F)

7 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

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Hardware

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small bowl

fine mesh

large bowl

moist sheet

moist towel

greased pans

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Mix the yeast in the warm water in a small bowl and let sit in a warm place for 10 minutes. Mix the salt with the flour and run through a fine mesh, allowing it to fall into a large bowl. Using your fingers, mix in the oil. Slowly pour in the raised yeast while working the dough with your hands so as to produce a firm dough. Place the dough on a flat surface with some flour sprinkled on it. Knead the dough until it becomes firm and elastic.

Grease the bowl and place the dough in it. Cover the bowl with a moist towel and set in a warm place until the dough has doubled in volume.

Once again, remove the dough and knead it again over a floured tabletop, to remove air pockets and until the dough feels smooth. Return the dough to a covered bowl and let it rest. 15 minutes should be sufficient.

Cut the dough as desired to form bars, loafs or balls and place on greased pans. Cut slits in top of bread as desired.

Let bread raise on pans 30 more minutes or until the tops of the bars begin to flatten.

Place in a very hot oven (450 degrees F) for 30 o 50 minutes, or until the tops of the bars become toasted and they sound hollow when knocked on the bottom. Remove the bread from the pans and let cool.

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