The midnights: some buns to eat with sweet or salty
If you are not from Spain, you may be wondering what are midnights, also spelled midnight. Well, they are small buns that are halfway between a roll, a Swiss and a Brioche. They have a thin crust and an intense golden color.
The media noches are tender and fluffy. Its flavor is smooth and quite neutral., so they can be tasted both with savory fillings like sweets.
This recipe for homemade halves is made with sourdough, which provides an extra aroma to the crumb. The sourdough that I had at home was made from whole wheat flour, which is why you can see the little bits of bran on the crust. You can make them perfectly with white flour sourdough; the result will be very similar.
It is not a quick recipe to make, true, but preparing our own breads and pastry pieces gives a lot of satisfaction. You can take advantage of the occasion and double the amounts of the recipe to prepare more half nights. Those that you are not going to consume immediately, you freeze.
With all this said, let’s go with the homemade midnight recipe, who has a lot to tell.
Ingredients to make homemade stockings with sourdough. Quantities for 15 units
- 200 g strong flour (12.9 g protein)
- 50 g of loose flour (9 g of protein)
- 7.5 g fresh yeast
- 50 g sourdough
- 30g of sugar
- 6.25g of salt
- 2 eggs M (1 for the dough and another to paint the pieces)
- 50g butter
- 60g whole milk
- 25g of water
How to make homemade stockings with sourdough
Preparation of the dough
- Heat the milk for a few seconds in the microwave so that it is slightly warm (never hot). Dissolve fresh yeast in it.
- In a bowl, sift the two types of flour in order to aerate it. Add all the ingredients of the midnight except butter.
- Mix until the flour is more or less integrated. Pour out on a very clean surface and knead. You can also do this step with a mixer.
- Work the dough by slightly stretching and folding it on itself. Rotate it 90º each time you do this gesture. At first the dough will be sticky, but as it kneads it will stop sticking. Its appearance will also become smoother and softer. Knead until it looks homogeneous and smooth.
Boleado and first fermentation in block
- Once it’s smooth, we’re going to round the dough. To do this, put your hands under the dough and roll it across the table to generate tension on the outside. At the bottom there should be a fold.
- Place the dough fold side down in a bowl. cover it and let it ferment about 2 hours in a temperate place (about 27º). This will constitute a first block fermentation, in which it will double its volume.
Incorporation of butter
- Once fermented, the dough must be lightly pressed to get the air out
- Now, add the butter cut into cubes and knead again. On this occasion I have used my pastry robot, but it can be done by hand. At first, the dough will become sticky again, but as you knead the butter it will gradually absorb and eventually peel off the sides of the bowl.
- The dough must be worked until it passes the membrane or jacket test. To do this check, take a piece of dough and gently stretch it between your fingers until you get a thin, translucent membrane. If this does not occur, you should continue kneading for a few more minutes.
Division of the dough, painted and second fermentation
- Divide the dough into equal portions. Ideally, use a spatula to prevent the dough from tearing. To make all the pieces the same size, weigh them with a scale. Mine were about 35g each.
- Round the pieces and give it its final shape. To do this, make a small bundle with each one and turn it over so that the fold is facing down. Then, with your cupped hand, press the ball against the table and roll it slightly in a circular fashion. The surface must be completely smooth.
- Place the halves on a baking tray. covered with parchment paper. Leave a separation of about 8 cm so that they do not stick during the rising.
- Beat the other egg and paint the surface of the pieces with a brush.
- Cover the socks with a damp cloth to prevent them from drying out and let them rest in a warm place until they double their volume. It will take an hour, more or less.
midnight bake
- Preheat the oven to 200ºCwith heat above and below.
- Just before putting the halves in the oven, again give them a layer of beaten egg. This second layer helps to achieve that toasty, glowy midnight look.
- Put the stockings in the oven and, once inside, lower it to 190º. Bake the pieces for 12 to 15 minutes. or until the surface acquires a golden hue.
- Once ready, transfer them to a grid and let them cool completely.
Other tips for making homemade sourdough midnights
- Fermentation times are variable, They depend on the ambient temperature. The hotter it is, the faster the dough will rise.
- When you paint the midnights with egg, don’t overdo itsince if the egg slips under the pieces they can get stuck to the paper.
- At the moment of covering the half nights already formed, you can do it with a damp cloth or cling film. If you want to do it with film, remember to grease it with a little oil. If you don’t, it stays stuck to the socks and when you remove it, they can break and wear out.
- Keep an eye on the halves while they bake, as they are small pieces and they are done fast.
How to preserve homemade stockings
these midnights they last tender about 2 or 3 days. Store them in a bag or in a closed container so they don’t dry out prematurely. Being made with sourdough, they last a little longer in good condition than if they didn’t. However, remember that they are not an industrial product, so their duration will always be shorter.
If you anticipate that you will not consume them in a few days, you can freeze them no problem. Once defrosted they are almost as freshly baked.
