PINON BREAD

Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 2 cups unbleached flour or more
- 2 tablespoon cornmeal (for the peel)
- 1 teaspoon chili powder (new Mexican, preferable freshly ground red chili)
Directions
- Directions
- Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet until they begin to color, shaking the pan occasionally so that they don’t burn.
- Remove them from the heat and set aside to cool; then chop them finely by hand or in a food processor to make a fine meal. (Be careful not to overwork them, or the pine nuts will form a nut butter.)
- Stir the yeast and sugar into the warm water and set the mixture aside for 10 minutes or until the surface is covered with bubbles.
- Stir in the salt, ground nuts, whole wheat flour and as much white flour as you can, using a spoon.
- Turn the dough out onto the counter and knead it until its smooth and silky, about 8 minutes, incorporating extra flour as needed.
- Brush a film of oil in a bowl and set the dough in to rise for approximately 45 minutes, covered with a damp towel or a piece of plastic wrap.
- Let it double in bulk, then turn it out on a counter and knead it briefly.
- Shape the dough into a round ball and set it aside to rise again on a peel or counter dusted with cornmeal or flour.
- While it is rising, preheat the oven to 375 degree F. If you are using a baking stone, heat it at the same time.
- When the bread has risen again, after 30 minutes or so, cut 4 or 5 deep slashes across the top.
- Mix the ground chili with a few spoonful’s of water and paint it over the surface of the bread.
- Slice the risen bread onto the baking stone and bake it until its firm on top and lightly browned on the unglazed parts, about 40 minutes.
- Set the bread on a rack to cool.
- For the pinon rolls: After the dough has risen the first time, knead it briefly and then cut it into 12 2-ounces pieces.
- From each piece into a ball and set them aside to rise on a peel or baking pan dusted with flour or cornmeal.
- Cut several vent lines into each roll and brush the rolls with chili water as above.
- When risen, bake the rolls until lightly browned and firm to the touch, about 25 minutes.

