Turtle Bread

What else are you supposed to name a bread that looks like a turtle? If you didn’t know it, you might think the form is achieved through scoring or cuts. You’d be wrong, because here a small piece of dough is rolled into a thin flat and then laid in a floured proofing basket. On top of this comes the shaped loaf- and that’s it! In order to get a good bond between the rolled thin flat and the loaf, I recommend proofing the loaf at a cool temp. of 4-6°C.

Recipe

For a dough weight of 874g

Biga:

  • 150g Wheat flour 700/550 or T65
  • 110g Water 10°C
  • 0,2g Yeast

Mix all ingredients on slow for 5 minutes and allow to proof for 12-15 hours at room temperature (18°C).

Main dough:

  • 350g Wheat flour Type 700/550 or T65
  • 260g Mature Biga
  • 250g Water 4°C

Mix briefly the flour, water and biga and then cover and allow to autolyse for 30 minutes.

  • 12g Salt
  • 3g Yeast

Add the salt and yeast and slowly mix for 8-9 minutes. Then mix on fast just long enough for the dough to completely release from the side of the mixing bowl. 

Production:

  • After making the dough, allow the dough to rise in an oiled tub for 45 minutes.
  • Then fold 1x and let it rise a further 75 minutes. 
  • Cut off 80-100g of dough and carefully fold into a round piece of dough. With the rest of the dough, fold it together from four sides and then place on a floured dough tray with the seam-side down. 
  • Allow both pieces of dough 15 minutes to relax!!
  • Generously flour the 100g piece and roll it out into a flat round (17-18cm). Place this flat piece of dough into a floured proofing basket. 
  • Once again fold together the larger piece of dough and place on top of the flat piece of dough in the proofing basket. 
  • In this form the dough is proofed in the refrigerator at 4-6°C for 12-18 hours. ATTENTION: Cover the dough in the refrigerator with plastic after 30 minutes!
  • Preheat the oven to 250°C.
  • To bake, turn the dough out onto a floured baking peel and place it in the oven with strong steam.
  • Reduce the oven temperature to 210°C after 5 minutes. 
  • Total bake time of about 35 minutes. 

TIP: If you have decorative stencils you can use it to dust the dough with rye malt powder or cocoa before baking.