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Pão de centeio transmontano
Dark rye loaf
Pão de centeio transmontano: dark, chewy rye country loaf from the north-east
On the cold uplands of Trás-os-Montes, where wheat struggled, rye was the bread grain, and village bakeries around Montalegre and Miranda do Douro still bake big rounds with a dark, floury crust. The crumb is dense, tangy and moist, made to keep for a week and to sit beside cured meats, cheese and soups. This home loaf mixes rye with some wheat so it rises reliably. A common mistake is kneading rye dough like wheat dough; it never turns elastic, so mix it to a sticky paste and stop. Chef's tip: rye dough is sticky by nature, so shape it with wet hands rather than adding flour.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
- 14 oz rye flourplus extra for dusting
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 cups lukewarm water
- 1 tbsp cider vinegaradds a gentle sour note
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Mix the 14 oz rye flour, 9 oz strong white bread flour, ¼ oz fast-action dried yeast and 2 tsp salt in a large bowl. Add the 2 cups lukewarm water and 1 tbsp cider vinegar and stir with a spoon, then knead with a wet hand for 5 minutes into a soft, sticky dough.
8 minStep 2: Cover and leave in a warm place for 1–1½ hours, until risen by about half and pitted with bubbles on top.
90 minStep 3: Dust a baking tray well with rye flour. With wet hands, scrape the dough out, fold it in on itself a few times and form a round, then roll it in rye flour.
5 minStep 4: Leave to rise again, uncovered, for 40 minutes, until the floury surface crackles and splits.
40 minStep 5: Meanwhile, heat the oven to 450°F with an empty roasting tin on the bottom shelf. Put the loaf in and pour a mug of water into the hot tin to make steam.
5 minStep 6: Bake for 15 minutes, then lower to 400°F and bake for 35 minutes more, until the crust is dark and the base sounds hollow. The inside should reach about 205°F.
50 minStep 7: Cool completely, ideally overnight, before slicing. Rye crumb stays sticky if cut warm.
60 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 200 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pão de centeio transmontano take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of strong white bread flour?
- Plain flour, same amount (the dough will be softer and rise a little less).
- What can I use instead of fast-action dried yeast?
- Fresh yeast, three times the weight.
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