Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, telera is a bread from the area of Córdoba (in

Andalusia Andalusia ( , ; , ) is the southernmost autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Peninsular Spain, located in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, in southwestern Europe. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomou ...

). Includes ~W130 wheat flour, sourdough, water, salt and yeast. Its peculiar shape, which resembles a '' montera'' (the traditional hat of a ''

torero A bullfighter or matador () is a performer in the activity of bullfighting. ''Torero'' () or ''toureiro'' (), both from Latin ''taurarius'', are the Spanish and Portuguese words for bullfighter, and describe all the performers in the activi ...

''), is the result of the deep marks (''greña'') that are made, generally two, and diagonally along the piece. It is a ''candeal'' bread, and typically used to make

salmorejo Salmorejo, sometimes known as ardoria or ardorío, is a traditional creamy soup originating from Andalusia, southern Spain, made of pear tomato, bread, extra virgin olive oil and garlic. The salmorejo is served cold and may be garnished with dice ...

from Córdoba.

Features

The ''telera cordobesa'' belongs to a family of Spanish breads called ''panes candeales'' ('candeal breads', also known as ''pan bregado'' or ''pan sobado''), which have a long tradition in

Extremadura Extremadura ( ; ; ; ; Fala language, Fala: ''Extremaúra'') is a landlocked autonomous communities in Spain, autonomous community of Spain. Its capital city is Mérida, Spain, Mérida, and its largest city is Badajoz. Located in the central- ...

and the two Castiles. These breads are made from durum wheat ( ''Triticum turgidum'' var. ''durum'' L.).

Origin

Traditionally it is said that the name of telera is a portmanteau of ''tres hileras'' ("three rows"), since it consists of two diagonal ridges that separate the bark into three parts. However, author A. Ortega Morán proposes an analogy with the counter of a

plough A plough or ( US) plow (both pronounced ) is a farm tool for loosening or turning the soil before sowing seed or planting. Ploughs were traditionally drawn by oxen and horses but modern ploughs are drawn by tractors. A plough may have a wooden ...

(called "telera" in Spanish). The counter is a long iron crossbar that kept the plough straight, and that was formerly used in a figurative sense as a synonym for something long. According to the

Royal Spanish Academy The Royal Spanish Academy (, ; ) is Spain's official royal institution with a mission to ensure the stability of the Spanish language. It is based in Madrid, Spain, and is affiliated with national language academies in 22 other Hispanophon ...

, it comes from

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

*''telaria'', in turn from ''telum'', 'sword'. According to the author and baker , ''telera'' in Spain refers to a variety of breads 'whose common characteristic is to be lengthened'.

Culinary uses

The traditional Andalusian breakfast is made with slices of this bread, young olive oil and sugar. Once staled, ''telera'' is ideal for use as an ingredient in

, an Andalusian soup.

References

{{reflist Spanish breads Andalusian cuisine Córdoba, Spain

Features

Origin

Culinary uses

See also

References