Directions: |
Directions:Combine the flour and water in a large dough rising bowl.
Mix the flour and water with your hands until the water and flour are incorporated.
Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes to let the flour absorb the water.
Scatter the salt and yeast over the top of the dough and mix with your wet hands by alternatively stretching it and pinching it to fully incorporate the yeast and salt.
This should take about five minutes.
Cover with plastic wrap.
After ten minutes of rest, fold the dough by picking up each "side," stretching it, and folding it over the middle.
Re-cover.
Fold the dough again after an hour.
Let the dough rise for about five hours, until tripled.
Generously flour 2 "proofing bowls"
With a wet dough scraper or wet hands, loosen the dough from the sides of the bucket and gently turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.
Cut the dough into two even pieces.
Shape the dough into bowl like shape.
Place shaped dough into each proofing bowl, seam side down.
Spray the top of the dough with spray oil (Pam), and cover with plastic wrap.
Allow the loaves to rise about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until they are puffy.
About 45 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 475 degrees F with two empty covered Dutch ovens placed on the middle rack. If no dutch ovens, can use an oven proof 3-4 Quart cooking dish.
When you are ready to bake, cut parchment into two 9 inch by 15+ inch pieces.
Remove the Dutch ovens from the oven and remove the tops. One loaf at a time, place the parchment over the dough and place a plate over it.
Flip the dough over, remove the basket, and lift and place the loaf in the Dutch oven by using the parchment as a sling (leave the paper under the dough).
Cover the Dutch oven and place it in the hot oven.
Repeat with the second loaf.
Bake covered for 30 minutes, and then uncover it and bake it for 20 to 25 minutes more, until the interior of the bread reaches 205 to 210 degrees F and the bread is a deep brown.
My loaves were ready sooner, so check early.
Lift the loaves out of the Dutch ovens with the parchment and let them cool fully on a wire rack (remove the parchment from the bottom of the loaves).
Hint: If your loaves get too burnt on the bottom because of the heat from the cast iron, move the loaves to a sheet pan when you uncover them and continue baking on the sheet pan. |
This recipe for Bolivian Bread is from