Pan de Alfacar
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| Alfacar |
Pan de Alfacar is one of Spain's most celebrated artisan breads. Local bakers have made it since the 15th century, when they combined natural spring water with local wheat flour and baked the bread in Moorish ovens fired by local oak.
By 1492, after the Reconquista, royal decrees made Alfacar the primary bread supplier for Granada to counter post-war food shortages.
By 1950, over 40 ovens produced 7,000 kilograms of bread every night. In 1973, local bakers unified under one protective cooperative.
In 2013, the European Union granted Pan de Alfacar Protected Geographical Status (IGP), legally safeguarding traditional preparation methods and geographical boundaries.
How close can we get to producing our own Pan de Alfacar?
Let's get as close as we can!
The bread comes in three traditional shapes:
Bollo - an oval loaf with tapered ends
Rosco - an elliptical ring
Hogaza - a round grid-scored loaf
The water should ideally be from the limestone aquifer of the Sierra de Alfaguara. A good substitute is still spring water...not tap, chlorinated or soft water.
The loaves are rested in damp linen cloths called tendios. This slow, humid proofing ensures optimal blistering of the crust and the distinct crumb structure.
And finally, bakers use a long-fermented sourdough starter, imparting mild acidity, high dough elasticity, and prolonged shelf life. A little commercial yeast ensures a consistent rise in the oven.
INGREDIENTS
The Pre-ferment
100 gms of sourdough starter, made from wheat flour, spring water and an existing starter.
I'd recommend 50 gms starter, 50 gms spring water and 50 gms of strong white bread flour. Any remaining scraps of starter can be returned to your motherlode.
Mix together, cover and leave until doubled, active, at peak and bubbly.
The dough
500 gms of white wheat flour (ideally around 11.5% protein)
300 - 325 gms still spring water (depending on the protein level of your flour. My 13.5% flour required the full amount. You're looking for a moderately firm but cohesive dough. A flour with a lower protein level will need less water)
100 gms active starter (i.e. the Pre-ferment)
1.5 gms active instant yeast or 2.5 gms dried yeast or 5 gms fresh yeast
10 gms fine sea salt
METHOD
Build the sourdough starter until it is active and at its peak. (4 - 6 hours before baking or longer in a cool room)
Combine 500 gms flour with 280 gms water. Mix until there are no dry parts, then cover and leave for 45 minutes.
Add the starter and the yeast, stir in thoroughly and then leave for 10 minutes. Now, add the salt nd bring it all together into a dough.
Knead the dough for 8 minutes. It will feel moderately firm but cohesive.
Transfer to a bulk fermentation vessel and leave at somewhere between 21-24⁰C (70-75⁰F) for 2 hours.
Stretch and fold once at the 45-minute mark. Then re-cover, put it back in the warm spot and leave it until it's had the full 2 hours.
It's quite a stiff dough, so best to be prepared.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
If you're making bollo, divide the dough into two equal pieces
If you're making rosco or hogaza, leave it in one piece.
Pre-shape into a boule, cover, and let rest for 15 minutes.
Now, the shaping:
Shaping the Bollo
To shape a bollo, gently flatten the pre-dusted dough portion and roll it firmly into an elongated, torpedo-like cylinder. Taper both ends down into sharp, pointed tips (traditionally referred to as tetas).
Shaping the Rosco
To form a rosco, roll the dough out into an elongated, slightly flattened rope, keeping the thickness uniform except at the narrow ends. Bring the ends together to form an asymmetrical, oval ring and press the overlapping joint together firmly by hand. Score a single continuous slashed line running along the top curve of the ring.
Shaping the Hogaza
To shape a hogaza, gently pull and round the dough into a tight, smooth, dome-topped boule.
Cover with a damp cloth, nd leave at room temperature for between 1 and 1½ hours to prove. The dough should have expanded by 50% - 75% and spring back slowly when pressed gently.
Preheat the oven to 230⁰C (446⁰F). Add a tray of water at the bottom of the oven to encourage steam.
Brush off any loose flour from the top of the bread. Score as necessary and place in the oven, spritzing with water.
Bake with steam for 10 minutes. Remove the steam pan, drop the temperature to 200⁰C (390⁰F) and continue baking for about 25 minutes until the loaf is deep golden brown and hollow when tapped underneath.
Cool on a rack before cutting.
¡Que te quede muy rico!
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