Semolina Pan de Mei

Pullman loaf tin is my favourite though it’s too big for a small family of ours. But the bread texture and colour that this tin yields is unmatched. I have a 100% all purpose flour pan de mei as well as a combination of all purpose flour and whole wheat flour pan de mei too in my blog. So, obviously the next attempt had to be with 100% fine semolina. I simply love semolina bread for its nutty flavour and the perfect sandwiches they make. My sister is also a big fan of semolina bread. So, when Neha was visiting my sister, I planned to make this semolina bread for her. And I must say that I was mighty pleased with the outcome. My next goal is to make a perfect 100% whole wheat flour pan de mei. Btw, this bread freezes well for around a week or more.

Ingredients:

• Semolina 650 gm
• Salt to taste
• Instant yeast 1-1.5 tsp
• Sugar 1 tbsp
• Butter 1 tbsp
• Milk 240 ml (1 cup)
• Lukewarm water 150 ml
• Milk powder 1/4 cup

Method:

• Mix the semolina, salt, sugar, milk powder and instant yeast in a big mixing bowl.
• Add the water and milk slowly and knead using the standard fold n stretch method till you get a smooth and elastic dough. Add the butter while kneading.
• Grease a mixing bowl with some oil or butter and place the dough in it. Apply some oil on top of the dough to prevent it from developing a skin.
• Cover the bowl with a moist cloth or a cling wrap and allow the dough to double in size.
• Meanwhile grease your Pullman loaf tin with oil. Do not forget to oil the lid too.
• Once the dough is double in size, degas it by punching it. Knead again for a minute or two.
• Roll the dough using a rolling pin into a big rectangle. Fold it tightly like a log and place it in the bread tin.
• Cover and allow the dough to rise till it almost fills the tin.
• Preheat the oven at 180 degree Celsius for atleast 10 minutes.
• Bake the bread with the lid on for the first 20-25 minutes.
• Now remove the lid and bake again for 15-20 minutes till the internal temperature of the bread is about 95-100 degree Celsius.
• Remove the tin from the oven and allow the bread to cool in the tin for 4-5 minutes.
• Transfer onto a wire rack and cool well for 3-4 hours. You may cover the bread with a soft moist towel while its cooling.
• Slice neatly using a serated knife and enjoy 🙂

Notes:

• I have used a 13 by 4 by 4 inches Pullman loaf tin.
• Depending upon your yeast quality, you can increase or decrease the amount of yeast. I have noticed that as my yeast is getting older I need to use a little more than what I usually use.
• The amount of dough used should be accurate to get a perfect cuboid bread. I have used 650 grams of fine semolina also called as chirotti rava. You may try using 625 grams or lesser and see. In this tin, 600 grams of all purpose flour gives perfect results. Please do not use roasted semolina.