Semolina (Rava) Bread

“The smell of good bread baking, like the sound of lightly flowing water, is indescribable in its evocation of innocence and delight.” – M.F.K. Fischer

True that !! Nothing like the smell of baking bread !! 

The weather was awesome....a light breeze and a constant drizzle with spells of heavy showers off and on..... Isn't it the perfect setting for baking. Baking breads. :-)

I made Semolina Bread. Semolina known as Rava or Sooji in India. Semolina flour is often also used in making Pastas. In breads it adds a sweetish fermented aroma and a smooth silky texture.

This bread dough is made with a technique called Sponging. It is an old fashioned type of sponge called Flying Sponge. So first we create the sponge (more in the recipe....) and then add it to the main flour. 
Yes you do need to have time at hand to do this bread but one bite and you know it was all worth the effort.  It has a crispy crust and chewy inside. 
So it was a perfect Saturday spent with a surprise from the cousins over lunch and then bread baking. Between making and sponge and the main dough KJ and I decided to take a walk in the rain.... yes we had that kinda time in between :-)

So here it is:

Semolina Bread

Makes 2 large loaves

Adapted from www.breadexperience.com

Ingredients:

Sponge:

180 g (1 ½ cups) Semolina Flour

180 g (1 ½ cups) Bread Flour

250 g (1 1/8 cups) Water

1 ¼ tsp Instant Yeast

½ tsp Sugar

Final Dough:

270 g (2 & 1/8 cups) Semolina Flour

270 g (2 & ¼ cups) Bread Flour

306 g (1 and 3/8 cups) Water

1 tbsp Salt

2 tbsps Olive oil, extra virgin

Sponge, all of the above

Procedure

Creating the Sponge:

1. Mix the semolina flour, bread flour, water, yeast and sugar until evenly incorporated.  You can use the mixer, but I just used a large fork.

2. The sponge should be fairly loose.  Let the sponge ferment for about 1¼ hours.

Mixing the Dough:

1. Add all of the ingredients, including the sponge, to the mixing bowl and mix on first speed until all of the ingredients are incorporated, about 3 minutes.

2. Increase the speed to the second speed and mix for another 2 to 3 minutes.  The dough will be of medium consistency. It should have noticeable gluten development.

I used my hands to mix the dough and kneaded it with hands too.

Bulk Fermentation:

Let the dough bulk ferment for 1½ hour and fold the dough after 45 minutes.  

Dividing Shaping and Baking the Loaves:

1. Divide the dough into two halves, preshape lightly into rounds and place the rounds on a lightly floured surface, seams up.  Cover the rounds with plastic.

2. After about 10-20 minutes, when the dough has relaxed sufficiently, shape it into tight round or oval loaves.  Place the loaves into floured lined baskets.

3. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees C.

4. Invert the loaves onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.  They came out of the baskets really easily.

5. Spray the top of the loaves with water and sprinkle them with sesame seeds or nigella seeds and score the bread with a sharp knife or a blade.

6. Once the oven is preheated, bake the bread for 15 minutes on a water bath, and then lower the oven setting to 230 degrees C.  Continue baking for 20 to 30 minutes more.  Check the breads during the bake and rotate them 180 degrees for even baking if necessary.

7. Remove the loaves to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.

Happy Baking !!