VegetarianWyoming Basque Heritage cuisine Baking

Basque Sheepherder's Bread

Name: Basque Sheepherder's Bread
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: Wyoming Basque Heritage
Ingredients: 5 cup Bread flour; 2 cup warm water; 2 tsp Active dry yeast; 2 tsp Salt; 1 tbsp Sugar; 2 tbsp Olive oil; 2 tbsp Cornmeal

A round, dense-crumbed loaf traditionally baked in a cast iron Dutch oven buried in hot coals. Basque sheepherders in the Buffalo and Johnson County area baked this bread while tending flocks for weeks at a time.

🇺🇸United States· Wyoming

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 60 min
Total: 90 min
Servings: 10
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 220 kcal

Equipment

•Dutch oven
•Large mixing bowl

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 220 kcal
fat: 3
carbs: 42
protein: 6
calories: 220

Instructions

1
Stir the yeast and sugar into warm water. Let it sit for 10 minutes until foamy.
2
Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the yeast mixture and olive oil.
3
Knead the dough on a floured surface for 10 minutes until smooth and stretchy.
4
Put the dough in an oiled bowl and cover it. Let rise for 1.5 hours until doubled in size.
5
Press down on the dough to release the air. Shape it into a round loaf.
6
Place the loaf in a preheated, well-oiled Dutch oven dusted with cornmeal. Cover and let rise 30 minutes.
7
Bake covered at 425°F for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 20-30 minutes more until deeply golden and hollow-sounding.
8
Let the bread cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.