Mexicana Bread ©
About the Recipe
A beautiful bread that is packed with flavour and potential! I love this on its own with good butter or to dunk into a soup or stew
Ingredients
Bread Mix
14.1oz-400g Strong White Bread Flour (sifted)
4.9oz-140g Plain Flour (sifted)
0.5oz-15g Dried Active Yeast
1 teaspoon Golden Caster Sugar
2 teaspoons Sea Salt
6.7 fl oz-200ml Warm Water (for oil mix)
5 fl oz-150ml Warm Water (for yeast mix)
2 teaspoons Hot Paprika
2 teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
1 teaspoon Chilli Flakes
7oz-200g Mexicana Cheese (torn into pieces)
2.7fl oz-80ml Olive Oil
Topping
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
Drizzle of Olive Oil
Preparation
In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour, paprika, chilli flakes, cayenne pepper and salt. Set to one side
Make the yeast mix by adding the warm water and sugar to a jug and combine. Sprinkle the yeast on top and stir in and set to one side in a warm place until the top becomes frothy
In a separate measuring jug, add the warm water and olive oil and stir. Make a well in the middle of the flour mix and pour the oil mix and yeast mix into the centre. Stir into the flour using a dough hook on a stand mixer
Knead this mixture together for 8 minutes using either your hands or the dough hook on the stand mixer
Place the dough into a mixing bowl that has been lightly greased with a little olive oil. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave for 1 hour in a warm place until it has doubled in size
Remove the dough from the bowl and knead a couple more times to knock the air out of it. Knead in the Mexicana cheese in intervals to evenly distribute it
Grease a 20cm/8" square cake tin and press the dough into it (remember to press evenly and up against the sides). Cover the tin with the tea towel and leave to double in size once more for 1 hour
Pre-heat oven to 392˚f/200˚c regular oven or 356˚f /180˚c fan assisted oven with an oven tray inside
Scatter the top of the dough with the salt. Make equally spaced out medium finger/knuckle impressions (think little pot holes) in rows and drizzle with olive oil
Pop in the oven for 35 minutes
Remove from the oven and remove from the tin. Reduce the oven to 302˚f/150˚c regular oven or 266˚f /130˚c fan assisted oven and pop the bread back in for a further 10 minutes on a baking tray
Remove and allow to cool completely. Cut with a bread knife and serve