The Cristal Bread recipe is born to challenge the rules of bread as we know it. An interior almost free of crumb, with large cells, and an exterior with a very thin crust, but at the same time very crisp. This is only achieved with a very high hydration process, that is, with 90% water on flour that guarantees its delicacy, as well as its complex bakery handling.
More water
Several trials were performed, raising the water content to reach an 80% hydration ratio.
This higher hydration results in a bread that:
· It’s easier to digest
· It’s soft and spongy
· Has a more developed, airy dough
· And a moist crumb
Olive oil
This natural fat is the special touch that grants personality to the bread, and gives it:
· A Mediterranean feel
· More flavor
· A soft, honeycomb-like crumb
· A better bite
Sourdough starter
A beer yeast active sourdough starter provides delicious aroma and flavor. The acidity of the sourdough starter is kept at bay, and Cristal bread doesn’t need huge amounts of it, so the flavor is not overly sour.
3 Fermentations
The beer and wheat sourdough starter ferments for 76 hours. Then the dough is “whipped” by kneading at high speed. One of the highlights of this bread is that it is not shaped traditionally; rather, it is scored so that the bread does not lose gas nor its characteristic honeycombed structure.
1. Sourdough starter primary fermentation: 76 hours
2. Proofing: after kneading is complete, the dough is left to proof for 48-60 minutes.
3. Final fermentation: roughly 70 minutes.
Sourdough, next generation
Sourdough is the most natural yeast for making bread. It develops more aromas, improves the texture of the bread, makes it tastier, and has better digestion.
But we are aware that sometimes, in some cultures, this bread is still known for its sour and strong flavor. That’s why we have been working on making our Cristal Bread with a sourdough formula that balances lactic acid and acetic acid; a yeast that provides greater smoothness and changes the rules of natural bread.
