Rēwena Parāoa

Method

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1. Day one: boil the potato in the 500 ml of unsalted water for 15 minutes, until very soft. Drain it over a jug, keeping the cooking water, and mash the potato until smooth. Let both cool to lukewarm. You need 100 g of the mash, so keep the rest for another meal.

   Mark done Start 15 min timer

2. In a 1 litre jar or bowl, stir together 100 g of the mashed potato, the first 100 g of flour, the 1 tablespoon of sugar and 250 ml of the potato water until smooth, like a thin pancake batter. Cover loosely with a clean cloth and leave in a warm place, about 25°C, for 24 hours, stirring once or twice. It should start to bubble.

   Mark done

3. Day two: stir in the second 100 g of flour, the 2 teaspoons of sugar and the 150 ml of lukewarm water. Cover loosely and leave for another 24 hours, until the bug has bubbled up, nearly doubled and smells sweet and sour.

   Mark done

4. Day three: mix 400 g of the bug with the 500 g of flour, the tablespoon of sugar, the salt and the 100 ml of lukewarm water in a large bowl, to a soft, shaggy dough. Add a little more water if it is dry.

   Mark done

5. Knead on a lightly floured surface for 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. The dough will be soft and a little sticky.

   Mark done Start 10 min timer

6. Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and leave in a warm place for 2 hours, until doubled in size.

   Mark done Start 2 hr timer

7. Shape the dough into a round loaf and set it on a tray lined with parchment paper. Cover and leave to rise for 45 minutes, until puffy. Put an empty roasting tin on the bottom shelf of the oven and heat the oven to 220°C / 425°F.

   Mark done Start 45 min timer

8. Dust the loaf with flour and slash the top three times with a sharp knife. Slide the tray into the oven, pour 250 ml of boiling water into the hot tin to make steam, wearing oven gloves, and close the door quickly.

   Mark done

9. Bake for 20 minutes, then lower the oven to 190°C / 375°F and bake for 25 to 30 minutes more, until deep golden and hollow-sounding when tapped underneath. Cool on a wire rack before slicing.

   Mark done Start 25 min timer

Chef’s Tips

• Do not salt the potato water. Salt slows the fermentation, and the bug will be sluggish.
• Keep the bug warm, around 25°C. In a cool kitchen it can take an extra day, and it is ready when it foams and smells sweet and sour.
• Keep the leftover bug going. Feed it with a spoonful of flour, a pinch of sugar and a little lukewarm water, and it will be ready to raise the next loaf.

Pairing Suggestions

• Butter and jam
• A boil-up
• A bowl of hot soup

Storage & Reheating

Keep wrapped in a clean cloth at room temperature up to 2 days. Freeze sliced for 2 months and toast from frozen.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.