Pită de Pecica
Pită de Pecica: large round sourdough and potato loaf from Arad county
The bakers of Pecica, a large village near Arad close to the Hungarian border, are famous across western Romania for their pită: a huge round loaf with a crackling, deeply browned crust and a moist, slightly tangy crumb that keeps for a week. The old recipe needs only flour, water, salt, boiled potato and a natural leaven kept alive from bake to bake, with a long slow rise and an even longer bake in a wood-fired oven. This home version makes one 1.6 kg loaf in an ordinary oven with a baking stone and steam. Where most people go wrong is underbaking such a big loaf, which leaves a gummy middle; check the inside temperature. Serve thick slices with soup, with fresh cheese and onions, or toasted with garlic. Chef's tip: feed your starter the night before so it is bubbly and at its peak when you mix.
- Total time
- 720 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
- 5 ½ oz active sourdough starterfed 6–8 hours before
- 9 oz floury potatoespeeled
- 2 ¼ lb strong white bread flourplus extra for dusting
- 2 ½ cups lukewarm wateruse the potato cooking water
- ¾ oz salt
- 2 tbsp wheat bran (optional)for dusting
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Method
0/11 doneStep 1: Feed the 5 ½ oz active sourdough starter 6–8 hours before you start, so it has doubled and is full of bubbles; a spoonful should float in water.
5 minStep 2: Boil the 9 oz floury potatoes for 20 minutes until very soft. Drain, keeping the water, mash until completely smooth and leave to cool to lukewarm.
30 minStep 3: Mix the 2 ¼ lb strong white bread flour with the 2 ½ cups lukewarm water (top up the potato water with tap water if needed) until no dry flour remains. Cover and rest for 45 minutes.
50 minStep 4: Add the starter, mashed potato and ¾ oz salt and squeeze and fold them through the dough for 5 minutes, then knead for 10 minutes until smooth and stretchy.
15 minStep 5: Cover and leave to rise at warm room temperature for 4 hours, giving the dough a set of stretch-and-folds every 45 minutes for the first 2 hours. It should grow by about half and feel airy.
240 minStep 6: Turn the dough onto a floured surface and shape it into a tight, large round. Put it seam side up in a big bowl or basket lined with a cloth well dusted with flour and the 2 tbsp wheat bran if using.
10 minStep 7: Cover and prove for 2–3 hours, until puffy and a floured fingertip leaves a dent that springs back slowly.
160 minStep 8: An hour before baking, heat the oven to 475°F (450°F fan) with a baking stone or heavy upturned tray on the middle shelf and an empty roasting tin on the bottom.
60 minStep 9: Turn the loaf onto baking paper, slash a cross in the top and slide it onto the stone. Pour a cup of boiling water into the roasting tin to make steam and shut the door quickly.
5 minStep 10: Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the water tin, lower the heat to 400°F (375°F fan) and bake for 60–70 minutes more, until the crust is deep chestnut brown, the base sounds hollow and the centre reads 96–208°F.
85 minStep 11: Cool on a rack for at least 2 hours before cutting.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 270 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 55 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pită de Pecica take?
- About 720 minutes in total: 630 minutes to prepare and 90 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of floury potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of strong white bread flour?
- Plain flour, same amount (the dough will be softer and rise a little less).
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