A pueblo panadería, where bread is made and baked daily, usually makes items in addition to basic loaves and rolls. Nowadays, that includes croissants, empanadas, all sorts of tarts, cookies and muffins. But in earlier times, the extras were confections of bread dough. Where I live (Málaga province), tortas de aceite were one of the baked goods beyond basic bread.
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| Tortas de aceite are flat buns spiced with cinnamon and aniseed. |
The torta de aceite is a big cookie or flat bun. It starts with basic bread dough to which aniseed-flavored olive oil is added. A little sugar in the dough and sprinkled on top makes it perfect as a breakfast bun, served with café con leche, milky coffee, tea or even a copita of aguardiente, anisette. Tortas de aceite are perfect for dunking.
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| Tortas de aceite are enjoyed for breakfast or snack, with coffee or tea. |
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| Dunk pieces of torta in the coffee, if you like. |
A similar olive oil dough in towns of Jaén province is turned into little round rolls called ochíos, or “eighths,” so-called because they were made with an eighth of the bread dough. The ochíos are topped with pimentón (paprika) and coarse salt. They´re perfect for making tiny sandwiches for a merienda, snack.
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| Small rolls are brushed with oil and pimentón, topped with coarse salt. |
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| Ochío rolls can be split and filled for small sandwiches. Typical fillings are chorizo or morcilla. Shown clockwise from the right are salchichón and cheese; marinated fresh anchovies; fresh goat cheese and sliced tomato and, in the center, sliced egg with pickle and mayonnaise. |
Basic Bread Dough
Masa Para Pan
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| Bread flour is harina de fuerza. |
Basic “country” bread starts with masa madre, a piece of the fermented dough from a previous baking, to which some fresh yeast is added. I bake bread so seldom that I haven´t bothered experimenting with sourdough. I used instant dry yeast because that´s what I had in my cupboard.
1 envelope instant dry yeast
½ teaspoon sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup hand-hot water (115ºF)
4 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup warm water
Day before baking
In a medium bowl combine the yeast, sugar and flour. Add the hand-hot water and mix to make a spongy batter. Cover the batter with a damp cloth and place in a draft-free place to rise overnight (8 hours).
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| Dough before kneading is shaggy. |
For the bread dough
Rinse a large crockery mixing bowl in very hot water to warm it and wipe it dry. Combine the bread flour and salt in the bowl. Make a well in the center. Add the sponge that fermented overnight to the flour. Pour in half of the warm water. With a wooden spoon, begin stirring the flour into the liquid in the center, incorporating the yeast dough. When the dough is too stiff to work with the spoon, add the remaining ½ cup of warm water.
Begin kneading the dough. Work it in the bowl or turn it out onto a board. The dough will be dry and shaggy at first, but becomes smooth with kneading. Knead the dough for at least 15 minutes until it is smooth, stretchy and almost glossy looking. (Use a dough hook on a mixer if you have one.)
Roll the dough into a smooth ball and place it in an oiled bowl. Turn to coat both sides with oil and cover with a damp cloth. Put the bowl in a warm, draft-free place to rise until doubled in bulk, 2-3 hours. The dough is now ready for shaping. (Divide it in half to prepare the two following recipes.)
Olive Oil Breakfast Buns with Aniseed
Tortas de Aceite con Matalahúga
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| Dough with spiced olive oil. |
Makes 12 (3 ½ -inch) buns.
16 ounces bread dough (½ of previous recipe)
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 strip orange zest
1 teaspoon aniseed
¼ cup + 2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup all-purpose flour
12 almonds
After the bread dough has risen, as described in the previous recipe, punch it down and place in a bowl. Make a depression in the dough.
Combine the oil in a saucepan with the orange zest and heat over medium heat until the zest begins to turn brown. Remove from the heat and stir in the aniseeds. Let the oil cool, then remove and discard the orange zest. Stir the ¼ cup sugar, baking soda and cinnamon into the cooled oil.
Pour the oil mixture into the depression in the dough and begin kneading it in. Sprinkle with some of the flour and continue working the oil into the dough, gradually adding the remainder of the flour. When most of the oil has been absorbed, turn the dough out onto a board and knead it for a few minutes. The oil in the dough keeps it from sticking, so you probably don’t need additional flour.
Place the dough in the bowl, cover with a cloth and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
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| Make balls of dough, pat into flat circles. |
Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Divide the dough into 12 pieces (each about 2 ounces). Roll each piece into a ball and pat it into a 3 ½-inch circle. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining sugar. Place an almond in the center of each. Let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375ºF.
If baking two sheets of buns, place them on upper and lower oven shelves. Bake 10 minutes, then switch positions of the sheets. Bake until the buns are golden, about 20 minutes total. Cool the buns on a rack.
Olive Oil Rolls with Pimentón
Ochíos (Bollitos con Pimentón)
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| Mix pimentón and olive oi. |
These rolls are savory, but are made with a pinch of aniseed in the dough. On a whim, I omitted the aniseed and used poppy seeds instead. Use pimentón de la Vera (smoked paprika) mixed with olive oil to brush on the rolls before baking them. Any remaining oil can be brushed on the rolls again after baking for a deeper color.
16 ounces bread dough (about ½ of previous recipe for Basic Bread Dough)
¼ cup + 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon aniseed or poppy seeds
1 teaspoon smoked pimentón (paprika)
1 teaspoon coarse salt
After the bread dough has risen, as described in the previous recipe, punch it down and place in a bowl. Make a depression in the dough. Pour the ¼ cup oil into the depression. Use a wooden spoon or hands to gradually mix the oil into the dough, adding the flour as needed.
When most of the oil has been absorbed, turn the dough out onto a board. Knead in the aniseed or poppy seeds. When the dough is smooth, place it in a bowl, cover with a damp cloth and let it rest 30 minutes.
Line a baking sheet with parchment. Divide the dough into 8 pieces (each about 2 ½ ounces). Roll each piece into a smooth ball, flatten it slightly and place on the baking sheet.
Combine the remaining 1 tablespoon oil with the pimentón. Brush the tops of the rolls with the pimentón oil. Sprinkle the tops with the salt. Let rest 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375ºF.
If baking two sheets of buns, place them on upper and lower oven racks. Bake 10 minutes, then switch positions of the sheets. Bake until the buns are golden, about 20 minutes total. Cool the rolls on a rack. If desired, brush tops with remaining pimentón oil.
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| Brush rolls with more pimentón oil after baking. |
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| Split the rolls for sandwiches. |
More variations on basic bread:
Crispy Olive Oil Cookies (Tortas de Aceite). These tortas are different from the ones in the recipe above. They are rolled very thin and baked until crisp. They are not at all “bready.”
Both of those look delicious - I can imagine people eating the Tortas de Aceite con Matalahúga with a mid morning carajillo.
ReplyDeleteMad Dog: Absolutely. I should have mentioned carajillo. (Carajillo is coffee with brandy or liqueur in a short glass, usually served at the end of a meal, but, hey, it´s probably good for breakfast too!.)
DeleteI have known a few Spaniards who start the day with a carajillo and I believe the 11.30 pick up is a thing with office workers in Madrid on summer hours. Personally, I wait until after lunch and then, only when I go out!
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