Ingredients
Dough
- 1 kgstrong white flour
- 20 gsalt
- 8 ginstant yeast
- 620 mlcold water
- 20 glard, if wanted
To finish
- flour, for dusting
- boiling water, for steam
Equipment
- a baking stone or heavy tray
- a metal tray for water
- a thin wooden dowel
To serve
- fresh cheese
- api, the hot purple maize drink
Directions
- Put the flour and salt in a large bowl and whisk them together. Add the yeast on the opposite side of the bowl from the salt. Pour in the cold water and mix it to a rough shaggy dough. Cover it and let it rest for twenty minutes without kneading. Kneading it builds the structure the open crumb needs. Work in the lard now if you are using it, which some bakeries do.
- Knead it for twelve to fifteen minutes on a lightly floured surface. It should turn smooth, elastic and only slightly tacky. Put the dough in an oiled bowl and cover it well. Let it rise for about ninety minutes at room temperature. It should roughly double in size over that time.
- Turn the dough out and divide it into twenty equal pieces. Roll each piece into a tight ball. Cover them and let them rest for ten minutes.
- Flatten each ball gently into a rounded oval. Lay two ovals side by side so their long edges touch. Press them together lightly so they fuse as they bake. Press a deep line down the centre of each half with the dowel. Press right down almost to the tray beneath.
- Set the joined pairs on a floured tray. Proving them takes about forty minutes at sea level. Cover them loosely with a cloth. They should look puffed but should still spring back slowly when pressed.
- Heat the oven to its highest setting with the stone inside. Give the oven a full forty minutes to reach temperature. Put an empty metal tray on the oven floor while it heats. Have a cup of boiling water ready beside the oven.
- Pour the boiling water into the hot tray and shut the door immediately. Stand well back, since the burst of steam is scalding. Bake for ten minutes with the steam in the oven. The steam keeps the surface soft so the bread can expand fully.
- Take the water tray out of the oven. Bake for a further twelve to fifteen minutes. The rolls should be deep golden and sound hollow underneath. Break them at the creases rather than cutting them with a knife. At breakfast they are dunked in api, the hot purple maize drink.
Technique
- Altitude speeds fermentation considerably; La Paz bakers use less yeast and shorter proves.
- Steam for the first ten minutes and finish dry, which is what makes the crust shatter.
- Press the crease deeply, since that is what lets the roll break into four.
Substitutions
- A heavy baking tray if you have no baking stone.
- Oil in place of lard, or neither at all.
Variations
- Eaten split with fresh cheese inside.
- Dunked in api at breakfast.
- Made with a little wholemeal flour in the dough.
History
Baked in wood ovens at nearly four thousand metres, where the thin air gives the roll its open crumb and hard crust.
Frequently asked questions
What is Marraqueta paceña?
Marraqueta paceña is a bread & pastry from Bolivia: crusty twin roll of La Paz, eaten hot with cheese or api. Baked in wood ovens at nearly four thousand metres, where the thin air gives the roll its open crumb and hard crust.
How long does Marraqueta paceña take to make?
Marraqueta paceña takes 40 min plus 2 hours rising of preparation and 25 min of cooking. The recipe makes 10 rolls. It is rated hard to make.
What can I substitute in Marraqueta paceña?
Yes, within limits. A heavy baking tray if you have no baking stone. Oil in place of lard, or neither at all.
What is the most important thing to get right in Marraqueta paceña?
Take the water tray out of the oven. Bake for a further twelve to fifteen minutes. The rolls should be deep golden and sound hollow underneath. Break them at the creases rather than cutting them with a knife. At breakfast they are dunked in api, the hot purple maize drink.
