• Remove the root and stem of beetroot and wash them thoroughly.
• Wrap three small beetroots in aluminium foil along with a little olive oil drizzled on top.
• Bake them in 200C preheated oven until tender. If a knife inserted goes through it easily, then it is done.
• Remove from oven, allow them to cool completely.
• Cook two beetroots in a pan filled with water. Check with a knife if they are done.
• Remove from water and allow them to cool completely.
• Peel the roasted and cooked beetroots, grate them using a large grater and set aside.

Making the Pre ferment:

• Mix together 100 gm bread flour, yeast, 100 gm grated beetroot and one or two tbs of water to make thick dough.
• Cover and set aside for 45 minutes.

Autolysis:

• In another bowl or stand mixer bowl, mix together 300 gm bread flour, 250 gm of grated beetroot and enough water to make thick dough.
• Once the dry ingredients come together, stop mixing, cover with cling film and set it aside for 45 minutes.
• Making the main dough:
• Add the pre ferment to the autolysis dough, and start kneading the dough either by hand or in stand mixer.
• Knead them together for 5 minutes by mixer and seven minutes by hand.
• Now add butter and salt and keep kneading for another 5 minutes either by hand or by mixer.
• Take the dough, transfer it to a bowl greased with oil, cover with cling film and set aside until it is double in volume. It may take anywhere from 45 minutes to two hours depending on the climate.
• Degas the dough and if baking in a 5” cube pan, shape the entire dough as a huge ball with smooth top and place inside the loaf tin.
• If baking as small rolls, divide the dough into 8 equal portions.
• Rest it for five minutes.
• Then shape each portion as a tight roll and place inside a tin or arrange on a baking tray.
• Cover and let it rise until double the volume. It may take anywhere from 20 minutes to one hour.
• Preheat oven to 200C.
• Bake the bread in the preheated oven. 40 minutes if baked in 5” loaf tin, 30 minutes if baked as small loaf or rolls.
• Once the bread is well coloured and the crust is perfectly hard, remove it from the oven.
• Immediately remove the bread out of the tin and let it cool on wire rack.
• Once it is completely cool. Wrap in two layers of aluminium foil and let it rest for 8-12 hours before slicing.
• Store left over slices in an air tight box in fridge.