Hallulla

Ingredients

Dough

• 500 gplain flour
• 100 gbutter or lard, softened
• 10 ginstant yeast
• 1 tspsalt
• 1 tbspsugar
• 200 mlwarm milk

Optional

• 1egg, for a richer crumb

Directions

1. Rub the butter into the flour until it has disappeared, then stir in the yeast, salt and sugar.
2. Rubbing the fat in rather than adding it later is what gives hallulla its short, slightly crumbly texture, closer to a biscuit than to bread.
3. Add the warm milk and knead for 8 to 10 minutes to a smooth, firm dough.
4. Prove for about an hour, until doubled.
5. Roll the dough out to about 1.5 cm thick.
6. Roll it rather than shaping by hand. Hallulla is a flat even disc, and that uniform thickness is what lets it split cleanly later.
7. Cut rounds about 10 cm across with a cutter or the rim of a glass.
8. Prick each one all over with a fork, right through to the tray.
9. Dock them thoroughly. Undocked they puff into hollow domes; docked they rise evenly and stay flat, which is exactly what you want in a bread meant for splitting.
10. Prove for a further 30 minutes.
11. Bake at 200°C (390°F) for 15 to 18 minutes, until pale gold rather than brown.
12. Take them out pale. A hallulla should be soft and light in colour, and browning it makes it hard.
13. Cool them on a rack, and let them go completely cold before splitting, because warm ones tear rather than part.
14. Split them horizontally and fill them, or butter them and eat them with once, the Chilean late-afternoon tea.
15. They are sold by the kilo in Chilean bakeries alongside marraqueta, and between them the two divide the country’s daily bread.

Technique

• Hallulla is the flat one and marraqueta the crusty rolled one, and Chileans hold firm preferences between them.
• Lard rather than butter is the traditional fat and gives a noticeably shorter crumb.
• Best on the day, and revived in a hot oven for a few minutes after that.

Substitutions

• Butter in place of lard, which is what most home bakers use now.
• Water instead of milk, for a plainer, less rich bread.

Variations

• Split and filled with ham and avocado, as an aliado.
• Hallulla integral, made with wholemeal flour.
• One large family-sized round, cut into wedges.

History

Sold by the kilo in Chilean bakeries and split open for once, the evening tea.

Frequently asked questions

What is Hallulla?

Hallulla is a bread & pastry from Chile: flat round wheat roll, the everyday bread beside marraqueta. Sold by the kilo in Chilean bakeries and split open for once, the evening tea.

How long does Hallulla take to make?

Hallulla takes 20 min plus 1 hr 30 min rising of preparation and 18 min of cooking. The recipe makes 10 rolls. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Hallulla?

Yes, within limits. Butter in place of lard, which is what most home bakers use now. Water instead of milk, for a plainer, less rich bread.

What is the most important thing to get right in Hallulla?

Rubbing the fat in rather than adding it later is what gives hallulla its short, slightly crumbly texture, closer to a biscuit than to bread.