Keeping simple traditions form our youth alive????...Sometimes wonderful childhood memories can help you through the darkest times ????#repost @salvelio・・・As a child in Spain in the 1970s, for breakfast, lunch and supper we always had one of these dense village breads, typical of Castilla, on the table.????????????For breakfast my grandmother would fry a few slices in olive oil and sprinkle some sugar on top. With a large cup of breakfast coffee it was heaven on a plate.????????????For lunch and supper, people would break a piece off the loaf and use it to dip into their sauce or simply to clean their plates. Butter was never found on a Spanish table, and the bread was broken and placed directly on the table with no need for a side plate.????????????For many years I’ve searched for a way to make a proper Castilian village bread. Last week I finally decided to give it a go.????????????The water content or hydration of this bread is very low, so the dough is quite tough to knead, but hey, a person needs a good workout in lockdown. My first attempt malfunctioned, but when this one came out of the oven all I could say was OLE!!!????????????The beauty of this bread is its simplicity and characteristic compact quality. Each village and baker will put their own signature on the bread by way of cuts and pricks. They will also make sure all the air is released during baking.????????????My dad loved baking bread and it was his life’s mission to perfect this one, but somehow he never did. This is my ode to him