The Portuguese inspired pão was first leavened using local toddy, which has now been replaced by yeast. Traditionally the soft and fluffy pão is made with all-purpose flour or maida, square in shape with a golden brown crust. Perfect to dunk in hot tea, to scoop and soak in any gravies or simply relish as a snack stuffed with food of choice. Goans just cannot do without the humble pão that warms the soul and satisfies the tummy.
This is a healthy variation using 100 percent whole wheat flour, which has more dietary fibre. To produce a spongy bread, sufficient moisture is incorporated to form the dough. Hence, sugar is replaced with honey that helps in enhancing the colour and flavour. Addition of oil instead of butter aids in improving the texture. Enriched with milk, the bread is pleasant and more palatable. Baking whole wheat pão at home is definitely easy and incredibly delicious.
Whole wheat flour is made from the entire wheat kernel (grain) consisting of the bran, germ and endosperm. The outer layer is the bran, high in fibre and nutrients. Embryo is the germ that sprouts and reproduces into a new plant, while the endosperm is the food reservoir for the germ forming a large part of the kernel. White flour is made from the endosperm after removing the bran and germ during the milling process.
This is a healthy variation using 100 percent whole wheat flour, which has more dietary fibre. To produce a spongy bread, sufficient moisture is incorporated to form the dough. Hence, sugar is replaced with honey that helps in enhancing the colour and flavour. Addition of oil instead of butter aids in improving the texture. Enriched with milk, the bread is pleasant and more palatable. Baking whole wheat pão at home is definitely easy and incredibly delicious.
Whole wheat flour is made from the entire wheat kernel (grain) consisting of the bran, germ and endosperm. The outer layer is the bran, high in fibre and nutrients. Embryo is the germ that sprouts and reproduces into a new plant, while the endosperm is the food reservoir for the germ forming a large part of the kernel. White flour is made from the endosperm after removing the bran and germ during the milling process.
Whole Wheat Pão (Bread)
(Yields 18)
Ingredients:
6 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/4 teaspoons dry yeast
1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
1 cup + 1 tablespoon lukewarm whole milk
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
a pinch of sugar
1 tablespoon melted butter for glazing
2 teaspoons salt
Method:
Mix in the yeast with 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 in a bowl. Let the small pieces of bran pass through the sieve reserving the larger pieces for another use (to make poee). By doing so, the bread will have a soft and tender texture.
To the flour, add salt, honey, oil, milk and above yeast mixture. Form into a dough and knead well for 5 to 8 minutes until soft. It should spring back when pressed with two fingers.
Note:
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 to 1 1/2 hours.
Grease and flour a 17-inch x 11-inch x 1-inch cookie sheet.
Once the dough has risen, punch and deflate the air. Weigh dough and divide into 18 equal smooth balls pressing the seam tight at the bottom. Place each ball in the prepared sheet around 1-inch apart. (Note: No flour was used to shape dough into balls.)
Cover cookie sheet and let rise in a warm place until double in size, about 30 minutes or more.
Note: I use a same size sheet pan to cover the balls.
Preheat the oven to 375 F or 190 C.
Bake for 20 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 melted butter for a shine. Carefully, remove bread from the cookie sheet and place on a wire rack to cool.
Serve pão warm with tea, your favourite gravy or stuffed with food of choice.
Note:
(Yields 18)
Ingredients:
6 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/4 teaspoons dry yeast
1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
1 cup + 1 tablespoon lukewarm whole milk
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
a pinch of sugar
1 tablespoon melted butter for glazing
2 teaspoons salt
Method:
Mix in the yeast with 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 in a bowl. Let the small pieces of bran pass through the sieve reserving the larger pieces for another use (to make poee). By doing so, the bread will have a soft and tender texture.
To the flour, add salt, honey, oil, milk and above yeast mixture. Form into a dough and knead well for 5 to 8 minutes until soft. It should spring back when pressed with two fingers.
Note:
- Initially 1 cup lukewarm milk was added and since the dough was slightly dry, additional 1 tablespoon of milk included to form a perfect dough.
- Dough was kneaded by hand but you can use a stand mixer with the dough hook.
- No extra flour was used to knead.
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 to 1 1/2 hours.
Grease and flour a 17-inch x 11-inch x 1-inch cookie sheet.
Once the dough has risen, punch and deflate the air. Weigh dough and divide into 18 equal smooth balls pressing the seam tight at the bottom. Place each ball in the prepared sheet around 1-inch apart. (Note: No flour was used to shape dough into balls.)
Cover cookie sheet and let rise in a warm place until double in size, about 30 minutes or more.
Note: I use a same size sheet pan to cover the balls.
Preheat the oven to 375 F or 190 C.
Bake for 20 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 melted butter for a shine. Carefully, remove bread from the cookie sheet and place on a wire rack to cool.
Serve pão warm with tea, your favourite gravy or stuffed with food of choice.
Note:
- Recipe can be reduced to half keeping the same amount of 2 1/4 teaspoons yeast to make 9 bread. Follow instructions at the Goan Pão (Bread) by clicking here.
- Wondering why I used 2 1/4 teaspoons yeast in most of my bread recipes? Each sachet contains 7 grams or 2 1/4 teaspoons yeast.
