Molletes antequeranos - Antequera muffins a Spanish recipe (2024)

This recipe needs advance preparation!

Much larger than English muffins, molletes are much closer to them than they are to the American ones. They are eaten at breakfast and throughout the day as a snack. Similar versions of molletes are found throughout southern Spain.

Whilst the serving suggestion I have given is typical, you can basically do what you want with them.

Ingredients

• 1st dough (Masa madre):
• 100 g strong flour
• 50 ml warm water
• 1 x 7 g sachet of dried yeast (use easy blend yeast if making in a breadmaker) or 15 g fresh yeast
• 2nd dough:
• 500 g strong flour
• 320 ml warm water
• 1 x 7 g sachet of dried yeast (use easy blend yeast if making in a bread maker) or 15 g fresh yeast
• 50 ml olive or sunflower oil.
• 2 teaspoons salt

Method

1. To make the 1st dough:
2. Place the yeast in the water and if using fresh or normal dried yeast, allow to ferment.
3. Add the water and the yeast to the flour and form the dough into a ball.
4. Cut a cross on the top of the ball and place in a bowl of warm water. The water should cover the dough and then cover the bowl with a piece of cling-film.
5. Once the dough has risen to the top of the bowl (about 10 minutes), use immediately.
6. To make the molletes:
7. From the 2nd dough ingredients, add the yeast to the water, allowing to ferment if necessary.
8. Add the oil and mix. Then add half the flour mixed with the salt and mix again
9. Next, add the 1st dough, together with the remaining 2nd dough flour and knead for at least 10 minutes. If using a machine, knead until the dough is smooth and elastic.
10. Place the dough in a bowl, cover with a damp tea-towel and allow to rise in a warm place until it is double its size.
11. Punch the dough well and divide into about 6 pieces. Shape each piece into a sort of elongated ball place on a greased baking sheet until they have doubled in size. This could take several hours or even overnight as there is no sugar to encourage the yeast to work.
12. Preheat the oven to 250 C/475 F/Gas 9 and placing a bowl of water in the bottom before switching on.
13. If you wish, you can lightly dust the molletes with flour.
14. Once heated, put them into the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 200 C/400 F/Gas 6 and bake for around 20 minutes.
15. 5 minutes before the end of baking, spray the molletes with water.

Serving suggestions

Lightly toast them and paint with garlic-infused olive oil and grated tomato (minus the skin). Use more oil if desired. Similarly, they can be used to make a form of the Mallorquín Pa amb oli or the Catalán Pa amb tomàquet. I like them with what I call 'cheats' 'cheats' Pa amb tomàquet or Tomate frito.

Chef's notes

You will probably need to use two baking trays with 3 molletes on each as they spread. Also use the shallowest trays you have otherwise the undersides of the molletes may be still slightly doughy. If you only have deepish trays, then after the normal cooking time, turn over the molletes and put them back into the oven for a few minutes.

It is impossible to make the dough entirely in a breadmaker. Loathe as I am to create washing-up, I decided to make them a second time using the food processor until both doughs were mixed. I then transferred it to the breadmaker for the final kneading and first rising. This saves standing over the food processor whilst it is kneading the dough.

Browse Cookipedia's recipes with Pinterest

Almost all of Cookipedia's recipe pictures have now been uploaded to Pinterest which is a very convenient way to browse through them, all in one huge board, or by individual categories. If you're a Pinterest user you'll find this feature useful.

#yeast #breadmaker #flour #driedyeast #baking #kneadingbread #foodprocessor #ferment #strongflour #olive #grated