Nenu compares the creation of the il-ħobża Maltija with a baby in the womb of its mother, explaining that like a baby needs time to develop in the uterus, the dough of the bread needs its time in order for it to be done in the proper way.Surprisingly, the ftira, that was recently proposed to UNESCO to be declared as a cultural heritage, most likely originated when it was used as a means of testing. Nenu explained that the ftira was originally a small piece of dough from the Maltese bread used to check the oven’s heat before the intended ħobż Malti would be baked. Add the flour (mixed with the gluten, very important to mix the flours beforehand) and salt to the mixing bowl with the 1/2 step 2 dough and add the water with yeast. Place on a floured surface and gently shape into a ball, pressing the sides with the palm of your hands. Another popular type of bread was the "xawwata - ftira", it was unleavened, flat in shape, about 18 cm diameter, with a thick dark crust and most white crumb. Mix the instant yeast in the 300ml tepid water and let it foam for a good 5-10 minutes. After 3 hours and 2 folds, the dough should have doubled in sized. In the same bowl that has the starter, add the 100ml water and dissolve lightly but not completely. Mix flour and gluten together. Work into a dough, knead on a surface for a good 10 minutes until you have a nice elastic dough.

Years after, a petroleum motor with a wooden machinery was introduced to the market which eventually was also replaced by electricity. I use corned beef or ground beef, grated parmesan cheese, garlic, beaten eggs and chopped fresh parsley. Ingredjenti: Ħobza friska Maltija tal-ġurnata 2 mgħaref żejt taż-żebbuġa 4 mgħaref weraq tal-ħabaq imqatta’ 2 mgħaref żebbuġ 4 mgħaref ġardiniera 2 mgħaref tursin …

Rita, I make mine without potatoes. https://karl0415.blogspot.com/2013/03/hobz-tal-malti-maltese-bread.html He recalls how his wife worked with him throughout their six pregnancies and would only stop for a few days after birth before she returned to work at the bakery. METHOD. No salt at this stage! Nenu tells us that in the old days bread making in Malta was a very hard craftsmanship and the baker did this trade out of love rather than as a mere means of living.The kneading of bread was done from the baker in what is called the żinġla, then with the help of horses in is-sinja. Thank you so much for the informative reply…I totally enjoyed reading the whole article of the link you shared. It gives him pride to know that our Maltese traditional bread is so unique. The recipe of il-ħobża Maltija, which goes back hundreds of years, is not a secret at all and it is one of the simplest ever. Ħobż biż-Żejt recipe, make your own Maltese traditional bread with topping. Thanks for sharing the recipe...it's very clear and I love the photos you show...makes it easier to follow.

In the meantime, preheat your oven to 450 Fahrenheit.

This will eliminate steps 1 and 2 next time you want to bake this bread again. Fold the dough after the first hour (you should fold it 4-5 times each fold, if that makes sense :-P) and then again after the second hour. Dust well with flour. Nowadays the technology, the machinery and better hygiene made the production of bread better and more consistent resulting in better quality product.The recipe of il-ħobża Maltija, which goes back hundreds of years, is not a secret at all and it is one of the simplest ever. Cover and let it prove for another 45 minutes.

Yes, you can make this at home using a regular oven!

The Bread pudding uses once again the Maltese loaf as the … Read More → Will let you know how it goes! Before popping in the oven, add more flour to the surface or just flip the dough upside down (as the bottom will be uneven therefore more flour sticks to it), dust with more flour on top and pop on the pizza stone.

If you have a pizza stone, the result will be much better. Vida recently met, Nenu Debono, owner and chief executive officer of Maypole, who shared with us what attracted him to the industry, the history of bread making in Malta and how the profession of bread making has changed over the years.The young son of a third-generation baker, Nenu always knew and dreamt to follow in his family’s footsteps. Bake for a good 50 minutes if making one loaf.

Cooking oriented Facebook pages have been flooded with everyone’s ‘hobza Maltija’ or ‘ftira’ “kapulavur”, and we’ve been pleased to see our traditional bread making an appearance everywhere. The name "Hobz biz-zeit" means in English simply "bread with oil" but there is much more to it than just that.Thick slices of bread are spread with the beloved sweetish tomato paste called kunserva and topped with capers, olives, garlic, black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Having returned from a recent trip to Malta I wanted to make this bread.
Over the past couple of days, many Maltese nationals have been giving bread making a try. Thanks for sharing the recipe...it's very clear and I love the photos you show...makes it easier to follow. During these 3 hours, you need to fold the dough twice. © Copyright 2016 - Vida Magazine Write CSS OR LESS and hit save.

Take 1/2 of the dough from step two and put it in a large mixing bowl. Bread recipe never changed, it was made with few and simple ingredients - flour, yeast, plenty of water, sea-salt, hard work and lot of patience. My recipe will not yield the exact result of what you describe, but it is the closest I have come to as I too have been experimenting with different recipes and flours etc… I hope you like the recipe if you end up trying it. This nourishing and healthy pumpkin pie style smoothie tastes like sheer ... Il-hobza Maltija…A Unique Legacy of Craftsmanship. You can view this Wrap the other 1/2 in cling film or an air tight plastic bag and store in the fridge for your next baking session! It consists of a generous amount of water, flour, salt, yeast and the most important ingredient of whom many are unaware of – it-tinsila – part of the mixture which is preserved and added into every new mixture.
If not you can bake the bread on a floured baking sheet, but I cannot stress enough the importance of investing in a pizza stone if you intend to bake this bread!