Bara Planc (Welsh Bakestone Bread)

Name: Bara Planc (Welsh Bakestone Bread)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Welsh
Ingredients: 250 g strong white bread flour; 100 g wholemeal flour; 7 g fast-action dried yeast; 1 tsp Fine sea salt; 0.5 tsp caster sugar; 25 g salted welsh butter; 100 ml Whole milk; 120 ml warm water; 40 g salted welsh butter

A traditional Welsh flat yeasted bread cooked on a heavy bakestone until lightly charred, best served split and generously buttered while warm.

🇬🇧United Kingdom· North Wales

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 25 min
Total: 45 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 285 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered

Servings

250 g strong white bread flour — plus extra for dusting
100 g wholemeal flour — adds rustic flavour and texture
7 g fast-action dried yeast — one standard sachet
1 tsp Fine sea salt — for seasoning the dough
½ tsp caster sugar — to feed the yeast
25 g salted welsh butter — softened, for the dough
100 ml Whole milk — warmed to hand-hot
120 ml warm water — hand-hot, adjust as needed
40 g salted welsh butter — for spreading generously when hot

Equipment

•Bakestone or heavy cast-iron frying pan
•Large mixing bowl
•Rolling pin
•Palette knife or fish slice
•Clean tea towel

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 285 kcal
fat: 9 g
carbs: 44 g
fibre: 3 g
protein: 8 g
calories: 285 kcal

Instructions

1
Mix the white bread flour, wholemeal flour, yeast, salt, and caster sugar in a large bowl.
2
Rub the softened butter into the dry mixture with your fingertips until combined.
3
Pour in the warm milk and warm water, stirring to make a soft dough.
4
Knead the dough on a floured worktop for eight minutes until smooth and springy.
5
Return dough to the bowl, cover with a damp tea towel, and leave to rise for one hour.
6
Knock the dough back and divide it evenly into four portions.
7
Roll each portion into a flat round disc about one centimetre thick.
8
Heat a bakestone (a flat, heavy griddle pan) over medium-low heat on the hob until hot.
9
Place a dough disc on the dry bakestone and cook for seven minutes until well browned.
10
Flip the bread over and cook the second side for another six minutes until cooked through.
11
Wrap the cooked bread in a clean cloth while you cook the remaining portions.
12
Split each hot bread horizontally and spread with thick salted butter before serving.

Chef's tips

Maintain a gentle medium-low heat on your bakestone so the interior cooks fully before the crust scorches. Tapping the cooked round should produce a hollow sound when it is done in the centre. Wrapping cooked breads in a clean linen cloth keeps the crust tender while the rest bake.

Ingredient substitutions

salted Welsh butter → traditional block lard or plant-based block butter
wholemeal flour → an equal weight of strong white bread flour

Storage

Store completely cooled leftover bread in an airtight container for up to two days.

Reheating

Reheat split halves cut-side down on a warm dry frying pan or in a toaster for two minutes.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Setting the hob heat too high, which burns the crust and leaves the dough raw inside
•Rolling the dough too thick, making it difficult to cook through on a dry griddle
•Greasing the bakestone with oil, which causes smoking and bitter flavours

Serving suggestions

Slathered with salted Welsh butter and local heather honeyServed alongside a hearty bowl of traditional cawl (a Welsh broth)Split warm and filled with mature Welsh cheddar and tomato chutney