TYROLEAN PUMPKIN SEED MINI BREAD

Ingredients:
340 g milk, at 95 F/35 C
6 g instant yeast
50 g rye flour
300 g spelt flour
150 g Italian 00 soft wheat flour (or pastry flour)
10 g salt
5 g sugar, (1 tsp.)
30 g pumpkin seed oil (or other vegetable oil)
150 g pumpkin seeds, toasted
water, for adjustments
1 egg, slightly beaten, for egg wash

DAY 1
Dissolve yeast in warm milk. Add to all other dough ingredients in mixing bowl. Mix together for 1 - 2 min. by hand or with mixer at low speed, until ingredients come together. Let dough rest for 5 min.

Knead dough for 2 min. at medium-low speed, adjusting with some water as needed, dough should be smoother but still sticky. Continue kneading for another 4 min., the last 20 sec. at medium-high speed (or more vigorously by hand). Dough should be still somewhat sticky. Prepare clean, lightly oiled bowl.

Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface. With wet or oiled hands, take side of dough facing you, stretch it out and fold it back over itself. Repeat with side of dough across from you, and then with sides left and right. Pick dough ball up, tucking sides under, and place into clean bowl. Cover and let rest for 10 min.

Repeat those stretches and folds 3 times, with 10 min. intervals (total time 40 min.) After last stretch and fold maneuver, cover bowl and immediately place into refrigerator for overnight fermentation.

DAY 2
Remove dough from refrigerator 2 hrs. before using.

Preheat oven to 410 F/210 C, including steam pan. Divide dough into 6 equal parts. Shape into boules or rolls and place seam side down on parchment lined baking sheet. Brush with egg wash.

With scissors, make 8 incisions around rim of each bread (see photo). Then, with small round cookie cutter, press down in the middle to create flower like shape. Spray lightly with oil, cover and proof for 30 - 45 min., or until breads grew to 1 1/2 times their original size.

Bake (with 1/2 cup hot water in steam pan) for 12 min., rotate sheet pan 180 degrees and remove steam pan. Continue baking for another 13 min., until breads are deep golden brown, sound hollow when knocked at bottom, and register at least 200 F/93 C.

This recipe is my adaptation from Richard Ploner's "Brot aus Suedtirol".