The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

OMG! Sourdough Library ? Who will join me on this pane di altamura journey?

The Roadside Pie King's picture
The Roadside Pi...

OMG! Sourdough Library ? Who will join me on this pane di altamura journey?

idaveindy's picture
idaveindy

Now I know what the "pompadour" is!

mwilson's picture
mwilson

Very romanticised but actually quite informative! Some details regarding the cultivars of Durum, with Simeto being the most important. Also some info about the SD culture, refreshed 3 times every three hours, presumably 1:1 (starter:flour) @ 50% hydration.

The way the bread is baked is more important to the flavour than I first realised. Using oak wood explains why the bread has a characteristic vanilla taste (oak contains vanillin). I like the approach of experienced bakers judging the cooking time and having faith that it was the correct decision.

I have been to Altamura and Matera and tried an example of both iconic breads. The Altamura one was noticeably sweeter and lighter textured. Still I enjoyed the Matera version - more savoury perhaps.

Great bread indeed, now shall I buy 25Kg of semola rimacinata...?!

The Roadside Pie King's picture
The Roadside Pi...

Regarding cooking time, there is another equally romantic video around, where the baker men gauge the time by first baking some pizzas. Depending on how long the pizzas take they know how long to cook the bread. Remarkable! 25 kilos sound like a lot of pasta making. Hmm not such a bad thing at all. I am thinking I might have just enough left for this bake. Fingers crossed. 

 

mwilson's picture
mwilson

Thankfully I have a number of options regarding my purchase as there are a number of Italian food importers in the UK.

Here is another vid with one our famous chefs...

He mentions the bakers judging the temperature of the oven by how quickly the focaccia's take to cook. It's a good one.

The Roadside Pie King's picture
The Roadside Pi...

Wilson!

I'll look for that video from Altamura. It was origanaly shared by no other than Dr. Snyder!

 

 Outdoor Volleyballs ...

 

mwilson's picture
mwilson

Wilson winery, Dry Creek, Sonoma, CA.