Marraqueta

Ingredients

Dough

• 1 kgstrong white flour
• 20 gsalt
• 10 ginstant yeast
• 650 mlcold water
• 20 gfresh lard or oil, if wanted

To finish

• flour, for dusting
• water, for steam

Equipment

• a baking stone or heavy tray
• a tray for water, for steam
• a thin wooden dowel or the handle of a wooden spoon

Directions

1. Put the flour and salt in a large bowl and whisk them. Add the yeast on the other side of the bowl from the salt. Pour in the cold water and mix to a shaggy dough. Cold water slows the fermentation and builds flavour.
2. Let it sit for twenty minutes before kneading, which is an autolyse. Kneading it develops the structure the crumb needs. Add the lard now if you are using it, which some bakeries do. Knead it for twelve to fifteen minutes. It should become smooth, elastic and only slightly tacky.
3. Put it in an oiled bowl and cover it. Let it rise for about ninety minutes at room temperature. It should roughly double in size. Turn the dough out and divide it into sixteen equal pieces. Shape each piece into a tight ball. Rest the balls for ten minutes under a cloth. Flatten each ball slightly into a rounded oval. Lay two ovals side by side, touching along their long edges.
4. Press them lightly together so they will fuse as they bake. Use a thin dowel or the handle of a wooden spoon. Press right down almost to the tray.
5. Set the pairs on a floured tray or a couche. Proving them takes about forty minutes. Cover them loosely and let them prove. They should look puffed but should still spring back slowly when pressed. Heat the oven to its highest setting with a stone inside. Give the oven a full forty minutes to heat properly.
6. Put an empty metal tray on the bottom of the oven while it heats. Have a cup of boiling water ready. Transfer the pairs onto the hot stone, creases up. Pour the boiling water into the hot tray and shut the door at once. Stand back, since the steam is scalding.
7. Bake for ten minutes with the steam in the oven. The steam keeps the surface soft so the bread can expand. Remove the water tray from the oven. Bake for a further twelve to fifteen minutes. The rolls should be deep golden and sound hollow underneath.
8. Let them cool for at least twenty minutes. They are eaten fresh, the same day, and preferably within hours. Break them apart at the creases rather than cutting them.

Technique

• Use cold water and a slow rise, which builds the flavour and the crust.
• Steam for the first ten minutes then finish dry, which is what makes the crust brittle.
• Press the crease deeply, since that is what makes the roll break into four.

Substitutions

• A heavy baking tray if you have no stone.
• Oil in place of lard, or neither, which many bakeries use.

Variations

• Pan batido, the Valparaiso name for the same bread.
• Made larger, as a single joined pair for sharing.
• With a little wholemeal flour in the dough.

History

Crusty four-part roll of Valparaiso credited to French bakers; Chileans eat among the most bread per person in the world.

Frequently asked questions

What is Marraqueta?

Marraqueta is a bread & pastry from Chile: crackly-crusted double bread roll, the national daily loaf. Crusty four-part roll of Valparaiso credited to French bakers; Chileans eat among the most bread per person in the world.

How long does Marraqueta take to make?

Marraqueta takes 40 min plus 2 hours rising of preparation and 25 min of cooking. The recipe makes 8 rolls. It is rated hard to make.

What can I substitute in Marraqueta?

Yes, within limits. A heavy baking tray if you have no stone. Oil in place of lard, or neither, which many bakeries use.

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

Let them cool for at least twenty minutes. They are eaten fresh, the same day, and preferably within hours. Break them apart at the creases rather than cutting them.