Pão is the Portuguese word for bread, popular in Goa and prepared with flour, yeast, sugar and salt. The aroma, taste and look of the freshly Goan pão is distinct, unique and a work of art. Its thin brown crust encases a white fluffy spongy interior. Perfect to dunk in hot tea, to scoop and soak in any Goan gravies or simply relish with boiled sausages.
The Portuguese inspired pão was first leavened using local toddy, which has now been replaced by yeast. Traditional bakers are called poder, derived from the Portuguese word padeiro. Bread baked in the wood fire mud oven is known as "forn". From Goa, the pão travelled to Mumbai and became a staple food for breakfast within the Goan community. After the basic pão, a variety of other breads came into existence and still prevalent in Goa. For the last two years, Goa has been celebrating the Poderachem Fest (Bakers Feast) to pay tribute to the Goan bakers and convey their significant contribution to society. An opportunity for bakers from across the state to showcase their variety of breads, socialize and share ideas. The feast also features cultural programs and entertainment.
The primary and essential ingredient in bread is yeast. It serves as a catalyst in the process of fermentation, feeds on the sugars in the flour and expels carbon dioxide that makes the bread rise when baked. Traditionally, proofing is done by dissolving a packet of yeast (i.e. 2 1/4 teaspoons) in 1/4 cup lukewarm water (100 F to 110 F) with 1 teaspoon of sugar to foam and double in volume. Dry yeast comes in two forms; regular active dry and instant yeast (also known as rapid-rise, quick rise, fast-rising, bread machine yeast). Instant yeast has finer granules with significantly more live cells, can be added directly to the flour without proofing, and enables faster rising by reducing wait time. Both active dry yeast and instant yeast are interchangeable. Active dry yeast last longer whereas instant yeast has a shelf life of one year. I buy Red Star Active Dry Yeast (picture below), 2 pounds brick vacuum-packed from Costco. After opening, I store the yeast in a glass container and refrigerate, which has a long shelf life for years.
The Portuguese inspired pão was first leavened using local toddy, which has now been replaced by yeast. Traditional bakers are called poder, derived from the Portuguese word padeiro. Bread baked in the wood fire mud oven is known as "forn". From Goa, the pão travelled to Mumbai and became a staple food for breakfast within the Goan community. After the basic pão, a variety of other breads came into existence and still prevalent in Goa. For the last two years, Goa has been celebrating the Poderachem Fest (Bakers Feast) to pay tribute to the Goan bakers and convey their significant contribution to society. An opportunity for bakers from across the state to showcase their variety of breads, socialize and share ideas. The feast also features cultural programs and entertainment.
The primary and essential ingredient in bread is yeast. It serves as a catalyst in the process of fermentation, feeds on the sugars in the flour and expels carbon dioxide that makes the bread rise when baked. Traditionally, proofing is done by dissolving a packet of yeast (i.e. 2 1/4 teaspoons) in 1/4 cup lukewarm water (100 F to 110 F) with 1 teaspoon of sugar to foam and double in volume. Dry yeast comes in two forms; regular active dry and instant yeast (also known as rapid-rise, quick rise, fast-rising, bread machine yeast). Instant yeast has finer granules with significantly more live cells, can be added directly to the flour without proofing, and enables faster rising by reducing wait time. Both active dry yeast and instant yeast are interchangeable. Active dry yeast last longer whereas instant yeast has a shelf life of one year. I buy Red Star Active Dry Yeast (picture below), 2 pounds brick vacuum-packed from Costco. After opening, I store the yeast in a glass container and refrigerate, which has a long shelf life for years.
Goan Pão (Bread)
(Yields 9)
Ingredients:
3 cups all purpose flour or maida + 3 tablespoons for dusting
2 1/4 teaspoons dry yeast
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
3 teaspoons butter
a pinch of sugar
2 tablespoons milk for brushing
1 tablespoon butter for glazing
1 teaspoon salt
Method:
Add the yeast to 1/4 cup of lukewarm water along with a pinch of sugar and set aside for 5 minutes to foam and froth.
Note: The water should be slightly warm to the touch not hot.
Sift the flour and salt in a bowl.
Melt 3 teaspoons of butter in the remaining 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water. Add to the flour along with the yeast mixture and mix to form a dough. The dough will be slightly sticky.
Dust 2 tablespoons of flour on a board and knead the dough well for 5 to 8 minutes until soft and smooth. It should spring back when pressed with two fingers.
Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once. Cover with plastic wrap and let dough rise in a warm place until double in size, about 1 hour.
Grease and flour a 9” x 9” square cake pan.
Once risen, punch the dough down to deflate the air. Weigh dough and divide into 9 equal smooth balls. Use the remaining 1 tablespoon flour to dust fingers when shaping balls. Place each ball in the tray around 1-inch apart.
Note: The dough was 735 grams so each ball weighed 81.5 grams.
Cover tray and let rise in a warm place until double in size, about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 F or 190 C.
Brush bread with milk for a soft, tender crust. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. The aroma of fresh baked bread will fill the kitchen when ready. Once out of the oven, brush bread with reserved butter for a shine. Carefully, remove bread from pan and invert onto a wire rack to cool.
Serve pão warm with tea, your favourite gravy or stuffed with boiled sausages.
Note:
(Yields 9)
Ingredients:
3 cups all purpose flour or maida + 3 tablespoons for dusting
2 1/4 teaspoons dry yeast
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
3 teaspoons butter
a pinch of sugar
2 tablespoons milk for brushing
1 tablespoon butter for glazing
1 teaspoon salt
Method:
Add the yeast to 1/4 cup of lukewarm water along with a pinch of sugar and set aside for 5 minutes to foam and froth.
Note: The water should be slightly warm to the touch not hot.
Sift the flour and salt in a bowl.
Melt 3 teaspoons of butter in the remaining 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water. Add to the flour along with the yeast mixture and mix to form a dough. The dough will be slightly sticky.
Dust 2 tablespoons of flour on a board and knead the dough well for 5 to 8 minutes until soft and smooth. It should spring back when pressed with two fingers.
Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once. Cover with plastic wrap and let dough rise in a warm place until double in size, about 1 hour.
Grease and flour a 9” x 9” square cake pan.
Once risen, punch the dough down to deflate the air. Weigh dough and divide into 9 equal smooth balls. Use the remaining 1 tablespoon flour to dust fingers when shaping balls. Place each ball in the tray around 1-inch apart.
Note: The dough was 735 grams so each ball weighed 81.5 grams.
Cover tray and let rise in a warm place until double in size, about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 F or 190 C.
Brush bread with milk for a soft, tender crust. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. The aroma of fresh baked bread will fill the kitchen when ready. Once out of the oven, brush bread with reserved butter for a shine. Carefully, remove bread from pan and invert onto a wire rack to cool.
Serve pão warm with tea, your favourite gravy or stuffed with boiled sausages.
Note:
- Since the outside temperature in Canada is below zero degrees at the moment, though we have heating indoors, it is not very warm for the dough to rise. So I placed the dough in the oven with the lights on. With the heat generated from the two bulbs, the dough rose beautifully in 1 1/2 hours. After shaping the dough into balls, I placed the tray covered, again in the oven. When they doubled in size, I removed the tray from the oven and then preheated the oven. If your oven has a feature where you can put the lights on without turning the oven on, you can proof the dough using this method.
- Once the bread is baked, do not leave it in the pan. Ensure to cool them on the wire rack.
- The dough was kneaded by hand. If desired, you can mix the flour in a stand mixer using the dough hook attachment.
- Use baking tray you have on hand and place balls accordingly.
- The bowl was greased with extra-virgin olive oil.
- No milk is used in the dough to make Goan pão. The bakers in Goa do not use milk but water. Milk is used to make soft dinner rolls.
- A good pinch of sugar is more than enough to activate the yeast. Pão is not a sweet bread.
- Butter added to the dough helps to stretch it, contributes to the flavour, tender texture and keeps the bread moist.
- A variation to the Pão with 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour and 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour. Incorporate 2 tablespoons skim milk powder, 2 teaspoons vital wheat gluten with rest of the ingredients and method as above. Pictures below of the bread.