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Royal Crown Tortano Bread

Royal Crown Tortano Bread

A ring shaped bread made with a starter, not much kneading and lots of resting time. This recipe uses some mashed potato which makes a delicious bread with a crisp crust and a soft crumb.
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 18 hours 45 minutes
Course breads
Cuisine American
Servings 1 large Tortano Bread

Ingredients
  

  • For the Pre-Ferment :
  • 1/4 tsp instant yeast
  • 1 cup lukewarm water
  • 2/3 cup bread flour
  • For the Dough :
  • 1/4 cup well mashed potato 1 small boiled potato
  • 3 3/4 cups bread flour
  • all of the pre-ferment
  • 2 tsp honey
  • 1 tbsp salt scant 1 tbsp
  • 1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds optional
  • 1 3/4 cups lukewarm water

Instructions
 

Make the Pre-Ferment (previous night) :

  • Mix the yeast, flour and water together very well, in a medium size bowl. It will be a bit liquid and sticky. Cover loosely and let it sit on your counter overnight (about 12 hours). The next morning, it should be bubbly and taste a bit tangy.
  • If your kitchen is very warm and the pre-ferment is fermenting very quickly, place it in the refrigerator after 3 hours of fermenting. In the morning, take it out, and allow it to come to room temperature 30 minutes to an hour before beginning the final dough.

Make the Mashed Potato First Thing in the Morning:

  • Boil the potato till very soft and remove the skin. Mash well, use a ricer or push through a sieve so it is smooth with no lumps. The bread needs just 1/4 cup of mashed potato.

Making the Dough :

  • Unlike my usual bread dough, I mixed this by hand. Put the flour, mashed potato, all the pre-ferment, salt, honey and cumin seeds (if using) in a large mixing bowl. Add as much of the water and mix together to make a somewhat wet and sticky dough. Remember, I used less water so I had a less wet and more manageable dough.
  • Keep kneading, using a dough scraper (more of stretching and folding actually, after a point) till you have a smooth and shiny dough. Shape the dough into a ball and roll it in flour. Place it in an oiled bowl, cover loosely and let it rise to double in volume. This will take about 4 hours or so depending on ambient temperature.
  • After the first rise, turn the dough out onto a floured counter. Wet your fingers with water so the dough doesn’t stick to them. Do four stretch and fold turning the ball a quarter with every stretch and fold. Four stretch and folds will result in one complete turn of the ball of dough. Do a total of four stretch and folds, once every 20 minutes, letting the dough rest in between.
  • So a stretch and fold after 20, 40, 60 and 80 minutes. After every stretch and fold, I left the dough on my counter to rest, covered by a large bowl.

Shape the Dough :

  • After the last stretch and fold, let the dough rest for 20 minutes. Sprinkle more flour if necessary and shape it into a smooth round.
  • Sprinkle a generous amount of flour over the center of the ball. Push your fingers into the center to make a hole, the rotate your hand around the hole to widen it, making a large 4-inch opening. The bread should have about 12 inches diameter.
    Royal Crown Tortano Bread Dough
  • Place the dough smooth side down on the floured couche or parchment lined baking tray. Loosely cover and let it rise for about an hour. When the dough springs back when lightly pressed, it is ready.
  • Pre-heat the oven to 230C (450F) with a baking stone or baking tray. You can score the dough at this point if you want to. Bake the bread for about 45 minutes till done and dark brown. Let it cool on a rack.
    Royal Crown Tortano Bread Dough Scored