Palianytsia Hearth Loaf
Palianytsia is known by its crest: before baking, the loaf is cut all the way around its side, so in the oven the top lifts like a cap and the cut bursts open into a crisp ridge. A simple preferment left for a few hours gives the crumb spring and a lovely wheaty aroma. We bake it on a hot stone with steam to get as close to a hearth oven as a home kitchen allows.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Rest
- 6 h 25 min
- Total
- 7 h 40 min
- Servings
- 10
- Level
- Medium
- Per serving
- 200 kcal
Ingredients
For the preferment
For the dough
Makes: 1 loaf, about 850 g, 10 slices
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Method
Oven
230 °C · top and bottom heat, no fan
With a fan: 210 °C
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Step 1: Make the preferment
Mix the flour, warm water and yeast into a thick batter, cover and leave somewhere warm for 3–4 hours. It’s ready when it has doubled, is full of bubbles and has just begun to sink.
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Step 2: Knead the dough
Add the flour, water, yeast, salt, sugar and oil to the preferment. Knead for 10 minutes into a smooth, springy dough that no longer sticks to your hands or the bowl.
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Step 3: Bulk rise
Cover and leave for 60–75 minutes, until doubled. After 30 minutes, give it one fold by bringing the edges into the centre.
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Step 4: Shape the loaf
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter and shape it into a tight ball, cupping and turning it with your palms to stretch the surface. Set it seam-side down on parchment, cover and proof for 40–45 minutes, until it has grown by about half.
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Step 5: Heat the oven
As soon as the loaf is shaped, put a baking stone or upturned baking sheet on the middle shelf and an empty tray on the bottom. Heat to 230 °C (445 °F) for at least 40 minutes.
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Step 6: Cut the side
With a sharp knife, make a horizontal cut all the way around the side of the loaf, about a third of the way down from the top and 1.5–2 cm deep. This is what opens into the crest.
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Step 7: Bake with steam
Slide the loaf on its parchment onto the hot stone, pour a cup of boiling water into the bottom tray and close the door. Bake for 15 minutes at 230 °C, then remove the water, lower to 210 °C (410 °F) and bake 25–30 minutes more, until richly golden and hollow-sounding underneath.
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Step 8: Cool
Cool on a rack for at least an hour before cutting.
Tips & variations
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Tip
Don’t be timid with the side cut. Too shallow and it simply seals over in the oven, leaving you without a crest.
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Tip
For a shiny crust, brush the hot loaf with water as soon as it comes out of the oven.
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Variation
Mix the preferment the night before and refrigerate it for 10–12 hours: the flavour deepens and in the morning you only need to knead.
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Storage
Keep the loaf wrapped in a linen towel or paper bag for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 10 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 200 kcal | 2,000 kcal |
| Protein | 6 g | 60 g |
| Fat | 2 g | 20 g |
| Carbohydrates | 40 g | 400 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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