Pane di Altamura - Daniel Leader

I’ve had this bake on my list for sometime.  I saved the recipe when I read through his book months ago along with a couple other of his recipes.  I have to say that we quite enjoyed the texture and flavour of this bread.  Very rustic with a new chewiness and that nutty sweet flavour that durum semolina has.  I used semola rimacinata flour as is typical for this bread from what I’ve read.

A couple of notes, I didn’t quite get the shaping right.  I believe a tad too much flour on the fold along with the fold not quite going far enough lead to the top part of the dough sliding down during the bake as the oven spring happened.  Also, the recipe says to bake for 30-35 mins.  Despite baking for 45 mins I found at the very center of the loaf that there was a tiny bit of crumb that wasn’t fully baked.  I’d probably bake a bit longer by 5-10 mins next time to ensure a deeper colour to the crust and a fully baked crumb.

START TO FINISH: 10 to 12 hours

LIEVITO MADRE 6 to 8 hours

KNEAD 15 minutes

FIRST FERMENTATION 2½ hours

REST 30 to 40 minutes

BAKE 30 to 35 minutes

MAKES one 1,084-gram loaf

1. PREPARE THE LIEVITO MADRE: In a small bowl, stir together the flour, water, and sourdough starter until well incorporated. Cover and let ferment at room temperature (68 to 77 degrees) until doubled in volume, 6 to 8 hours.
2. MAKE THE FINAL DOUGH: Combine the semolina flour, water, salt, lievito madre, and yeast if using in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix with a spatula just until a rough dough forms. With the dough hook, mix on medium-low (4 on a KitchenAid mixer) until the dough is velvety, soft, shiny, and elastic, about 15 minutes.
3. FIRST FERMENTATION: Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled, clear 4-quart container with a lid. Turn the dough over so all sides are oiled. Cover and let stand 45 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter. Pat into a 6- by 8-inch rectangle and fold like a business letter. Slide both hands under the dough and flip it over so the folds are underneath. Slip it back into the container, cover, and let stand another 45 minutes. Repeat the folding and turning, return to the container, and let stand until the dough is very pillowy, 1 hour longer. (If making Altamura Focaccia or Panzanella, skip to directions in the following variations at this point.)
4. REST: On a lightly floured countertop, pre-shape into a round. Dust with flour and cover with a towel or plastic wrap. Let rest 30 to 40 minutes.
5. BAKE: Right after pre-shaping, place a baking stone on the middle rack of the oven and a cast-iron skillet on the lower rack. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Dust a parchment-covered peel or baking sheet with about 15 g of the semolina flour and place the dough on the parchment, seam side up. Flatten into an 11- to 12-inch round and fold almost in half. Push down on the edge with the heel of your hand to seal the edge. Turn the folded dough in the semolina to coat on all sides, sprinkling with the remaining 5 g as needed. Slide the loaf, still on the parchment, onto the baking stone. Place 1 cup of ice cubes in the skillet to produce steam. Bake until the loaf is reddish brown and well risen, 30 to 35 minutes. Slide the loaf, still on the parchment, onto a wire rack. Cool completely. Store in a brown paper bag at room temperature for 5 to 6 days.

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