Yunquera The Muffins - 2013 - The kitchen of virginia

The mountain that I have on my back is part of the Sierra de las Nieves, a privileged environment where is the village of Yunquera, that have a population of 3,200 inhabitants. But as my website is about cooking, I tell you four things about this lovely village. The first is the 'Roman bread' that I already have posted on my website. Second is grape-juice, delicious. Bread-Muffins (Molletes), which are what today we come to learn how to do, and, finally, the delicious chestnuts. It's one o'clock of early morning. I have stayed with Antonio Pacheco, master artisan baker in his workshop, Nuestra Señora del Carmen de Yunquera. My goal: Learn the secret of how he made the typical bread of this village and, especially, bread muffins... A crustless bread, white crumb and spongy that, at least, you have to taste once in life. Antonio, our master artisan, is a simple, friendly and generous man. But he is a master with nerve, responsible and flexible in his work, qualities for a profession that requires passion, desire, skill, patience and, especially, knowledge. Our artisan recognizes that he hasn't necessity to leave his workshop to know which is the weather outside. As he says: "I look the mass and I know wich is the humidity and wind direction" Antonio also has the best support, his two daughters Ángela and Carmen that, shortly after I arrived at workshop came to help shaping and cutting breads. To prepare our bread Antonio used two ovens, a electric one, to get a thinner crust, and a wood stove, to get a thicker crust. There we will do our bread muffins. To keep the wood stove temperature, Antonio has to feed about 4 or 5 times every night through a small side door with wood that he cut. At four o'clock, after a long activity preparing hard rolls, bread rolls, large loafs, bagels, brown bread and an endless good breads, finally arrived the desired time when we made the bread muffins. Antonio starts putting on his old kneading machine sourdough, bread flour, cold water, a little yeast, bread improver and salt. In measures resides the secret, therefore Antonio put enough cantity for 300 bread muffins an amount that in the weekend can easily reach 600. Antonio turn on the machine and, after a few minutes of kneading, he add cold water by eye. When the mass has acquired the elasticity and consistency that likes to our master stop the machine. He explains that if he kneaded the dough too much it dies and no longer would be useful. When the mass is ok put a floured planks over a table. That is when he and his daughter cover their hands in flour, take dough pieces and shape it. They deposit it on the table and carry to a closet where the mass will rest an hour. The first bread batch is just out and Antonio very kindly offered me one of the first bread rolls for tasting it with olive oil from his olive trees... The bread muffins seem to be ready and its appearance pleases Antonio. He removes it and sprinkles with flour. He stretches it with his hands on the table and put it in the oven. The miracle is underway. We only have to wait eight or ten minutes about 240 degrees to see the result. The reward for a job well done is out of the oven . These are the bread muffins, bread without crust and white spongy crumb that will remain crunchy over three days if we retain a in cloth bag or wrapped in paper, a new secret that Antonio share with us. It's almost seven o'clock . It has been a great experience to share overnight with Antonio Pacheco in his workshop. The reward has been a bag of bread muffins ideal for breakfast with olive oil and a good coffee . I want to thank his family for their friendly hospitality and tireless good work. You soon!