Home-baked bread

Making our own bread has become part of the routine here at La Pasera. Bread in Spain tends to be either of no substance or far too expensive. Unable to find a baker who can provide the sort of bread we enjoy, we have developed a recipe that works for us and one that involves little or no kneading. To top it all, it tastes great.

Home-baked bread - Humous on standby

We usually bake about 6 or 7 loaves at a time and freeze them. So we only need to bake about every 10 days or so. Fresh yeast is readily available and is easy to use and gets better results than dried yeast. Organic flour is used in various mixes i.e. using various combinations of wholmeal, white, Rye, corn, and spelt. Mixed seeds are often added and other flavours sometimes used such as onion seed, malted barley or pesto. We tend to make the bread mix more sticky than normal which seriously reduces the need to knead as it helps release the gluten from the flour. We always let it rise twice, once as a whole in a rather large bowl and then a second rise in the tins.

Left over dough can be used for pizza bases or a few extra bread rolls.

Basic Recipe for 6-7 loaves:

These are the key ingredients that can be adjusted to suit your own taste and method. Other ingredients can be added such as herbs, spices, flavoured oils, olives, pesto, sautéed onion....etc.

3kg Flour (any mix you like: wheat, rye, corn, spelt, malted)
100gm of fresh yeast
salt 25g (to taste)
1500-1600 mls Lukewarm water
150 ml Sunflower oil (other flavoured oils can be used sparingly)
Seeds (sesame, pumpkin, sunflower, flax, poppy, onion...) (To your taste)
Optional:
(If available) Malted Barley Extract 2 dessert spoons
(If not) 1 dessert spoon of sugar or honey

The key to a no knead approach is to mix your dough slightly stickier than normal - hence the need to adjust the water according to the type of flour used. Some, like wholemeal and rye, might absorb more liquid. Handling is easier if you grease/oil your hands to handle the dough.
Mix water, yeast, sugar or malt extract in large bowl. Dissolve. Add half of the flour, oil and seeds, mix with wooden spoon until smooth (ish) add remainder of flour and salt, mix with spoon until formed into a whole. Final bringing the dough together with oiled hand. Cover with cloth, leave to rise for approx 60-90 mins. Lightly form dough into large lump, divide, shape and pop into greased tins or tray. Cover with cloth until risen (30-40 mins). Pop into oven 190 C for 30 minutes. Cool out of tins on wire tray.