Breads
Portuguese Bread without Thermomix
Method
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INTRO
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Portuguese bread, known as Pão de água, is a uniquely prized bake. It has an extremely crispy, thin crust and a light, delicately moist interior filled with large, irregular holes. Its secret lies in the very high water content in the dough, which means the preparation requires minimal effort, yet the result is impressively light and fluffy.
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It can be baked as one larger loaf or two smaller breads.
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Pour lukewarm water into a bowl, add sugar and yeast. Mix and set aside for about 10 minutes, until the yeast starts working.
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Add the flour and salt to a large bowl. Add the olive oil and the yeast starter. Mix with a spoon, then knead the dough by hand for about 10 minutes or with a mixer and dough hook for about 6–8 minutes.
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The dough should be elastic, soft, and slightly sticky. If it is very runny, you can add 1–2 tablespoons of flour, but do not add too much so the bread does not turn out dry.
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Cover the bowl with a cloth and leave the dough to rise for about 1–1.5 hours, until it doubles in size.
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After rising, transfer the dough onto a work surface lightly dusted with flour. Gently degas it and shape into a round or elongated loaf.
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Transfer the loaf to a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Cover with a cloth and set aside for another 30–40 minutes to rise again.
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Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220°C. You can place a small dish with hot water on the bottom of the oven to make the bread crust more crispy.
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Before baking, dust the bread with flour and score it with a sharp knife.
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Bake for about 30–35 minutes, until the bread is deeply browned. When tapped from the bottom, it should produce a hollow sound.
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Remove the baked bread from the oven and let it cool on a rack.
Tips
💡 The bread is best sliced only after it has completely cooled.
💡 If you want a more rustic flavor, you can replace 100 g of wheat flour with whole wheat flour.
💡 You can add 1 teaspoon of honey to the dough instead of sugar.
💡 The bread goes well with olive oil, butter, cheeses, soups, and sandwiches.