Rewena Bread

Rewena bread is a traditional Maori bread made with the rewena bug; a starter made by fermenting potatoes, sugar and water.

Ingredients

5 cups plain flour
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup risen rewena bug
2 cups warm water

Method

Part one:  the bug

• Add 3 cups of flour and 1/2 cup of sugar in a large bowl and mix well with a fork
  
• Make a well in the center of the flour and sugar, pour in the risen rewena bug and stir with a fork to mix
  
• Add 1 cup of water to to the flour mixture and mix until well combined
  
• Remove 2 Tbsp of the dough and place it into a clean glass jar to grow a new bug

Part two:  making the bread

• Add 1 cup of the warm water to the dough and stir well
  
• Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead until smooth
  
• Place the dough into a greased loaf pan, cover and let rise for about 7 hours in a warm place  (allowing the dough to rise for too long causes the bread to have a poor texture and a sour taste; not allowing it enough time yields undersized, tough loaves)

Part three:  baking the bread

• Bake loaf at 150 C for 30 mins and then loosely cover with foil, turn the temperature down to 120 C and bake for another 30 mins
  
• Rub butter over the cooked surface to keep the crust soft and moist