The Catalan TableIngredients
Servings:
4
Ingredients
- 1 coca2 clams
- 200 g400 grams
- 67 ml125 ml
- 2 3
- 67 g125 grams
- 10 g20 grams
- a pinch
- 50 g100 grams
Nutritional Information
Per Serving (Approx.)
Calories
19 kcal
Protein
3 g
Fat
0 g
Carbohydrates
1 g
Disclaimer: These values are estimates based on ingredient types and may not be precise.
Step-by-step Guide
Brioche Buns (Basic Dough)
- It is necessary to work in a warm environment, ensuring that the temperature is between 20ºC and 22ºC to guarantee proper fermentation.
- Knead the dough for approximately 10 minutes, until it becomes smooth and elastic to the touch.
- Let the dough ferment three times to achieve a light texture. If using this dough for sweet coques, add a bit of sugar. Suggestion: 50 g for one coca or 100 g for two coques. Ingredients: for 1 coca or 2 coques - Medium-strength flour (or puff pastry flour): 200 g / 400 g - Whole milk: 67 ml / 125 ml - Eggs: 2 / 3 - Lard or butter (softened): 67 g / 125 g - Fresh pressed Paris yeast: 10 g / 20 g - Salt: a pinch Optional: Sugar, if making a sweet coca: 50 g / 100 g Note: ALL ingredients must be at room temperature.
- For the 1st fermentation, prepare the poolish by dissolving the pressed yeast in warm milk and then mixing it with 100 g of flour. Knead lightly to homogenize the dough.
- Let the mixture rest in a bowl in a warm place, between 20ºC and 22ºC, covered with a cloth for approximately 2 hours, or until it doubles in volume. For best results, prepare it the day before and leave it overnight in the refrigerator.
Preparing the Dough for the Coques
- If we prepared the poolish the day before and have it in the refrigerator, we should take it out 2 hours before starting the process to reactivate it.
- With the remaining flour, form a volcano-shaped circle on the countertop. In the center, place the eggs, sugar, a pinch of salt, lemon zest, and a tablespoon of warm water. Gradually mix and work the dough for 20 minutes. Note: if using a stand mixer, use the K-beater.
- After kneading the dough for about 10 minutes, gradually add the softened butter while continuing to knead.
- Once the butter is fully incorporated, add the poolish. This dough now needs to be worked thoroughly, stretching and folding it to incorporate air for at least another 20 minutes. The method to work the dough to aerate it and develop the gluten is to stretch it with the palm of your hand and then fold it over itself. Initially, the dough is sticky, but as it's worked, it gains consistency.
- We will combine the stretching described earlier with kneading using the Bertinet method, which allows for excellent aeration and consistency of the dough:
- Grab the dough from underneath with both hands and stretch it towards the middle.
- Stretch it towards yourself while lifting it from the countertop.
- Swing and slap the dough against the countertop from a certain distance to lengthen it.
- The part held in your hands is folded over the part that remains stretched on the countertop, and start again.
- By combining both methods, continue working the dough until it has a fine consistency and passes the windowpane test. This should take approximately the indicated 20 minutes.
- Next, shape the dough into a ball.
- Once shaped, let it rest in a bowl covered with plastic wrap for 2 hours, until it doubles in volume.
Folding the Dough
- After the 2-hour fermentation, transfer the dough onto a lightly floured countertop. Gently stretch the dough to avoid losing the air accumulated during fermentation, ensuring it remains even.
- Perform a simple fold on the dough, folding it over itself, and let it rest for 10 minutes covered with a flour-dusted cloth to prevent sticking.
- If you intend to make two coques, once the dough is folded, divide it into as many portions as coques you want to make, ensuring the portions are approximately equal in weight. Shape each portion into a round ball and let them rest for 10 minutes before proceeding to work with them.
- After the 10 minutes of resting, gently stretch each piece, placing them on a lightly greased baking paper until achieving a rectangular shape 1 cm thick.
- Place the paper with the coca on the baking tray. Give it the final shape with your fingertips, adjusting the edges if necessary.
- Apply the desired filling (candied fruit, etc.). If making a sweet coca, remember that the sugar is not added yet. This step is done just before baking. Note: Do not brush the coca with egg yolk now, as it needs to ferment for another 2 hours; ensure that the egg does not spoil from the heat.
- Cover the coca with a cloth and let it rest for the third time for 2 hours or until it has doubled its original volume.
- Half an hour before baking, preheat the oven to 180 ºC to ensure it is at the correct temperature when the coca is placed inside.
- Brush the cake with egg yolk lightly diluted in a few drops of water, without pressing to avoid deflating it and trying not to cover the filling. Add the well-drained pine nuts, which have been previously soaked to hydrate them.
- If making a sweet cake, now is the time to sprinkle sugar on top before baking.
- Bake the cake at 180 ºC for 15 to 20 minutes. It is preferable to use some steam throughout the baking to achieve a spongier texture, but without ventilation. Note: It is done when the center of the dough reaches 96 ºC.
- Once out of the oven, let the cake cool on a rack so it doesn't retain moisture at the base and maintains its texture.
Recommendations & Tricks
- Note: Ensure that all ingredients, including the butter, eggs, and flour, are at room temperature to achieve a homogeneous dough.
- 1st Fermentation: Prepare the poolish by mixing 100 grams of flour with 125 ml of warm milk and 3 grams of fresh yeast, kneading until a smooth dough is formed.
- Let the poolish rest in a bowl covered with a damp cloth in a warm place between 20ºC and 22ºC for 2 hours or until it doubles in volume. Ideally, prepare it the day before and store it in the refrigerator overnight.
- When you're ready to prepare the dough for the cakes, make sure to remove the poolish from the refrigerator 2 hours in advance to allow it to regain activity.
- Form a circle with the remaining flour on the countertop. In the center, add 125 grams of sugar, a pinch of salt, the zest of one lemon, 3 eggs, and a tablespoon of warm water. Gradually integrate the ingredients well with your hands or with a spatula.
- Knead the dough for about 10-15 minutes until it is smooth and elastic, adding more flour if necessary to prevent sticking.
- Let the dough rest covered with a cloth for another hour in a warm place, until it doubles in volume again.