Bread Altamuro (Pane di Altamuro) in the oven

[Biga (starter)]

Bread Altamuro (Pane di Altamuro) in the oven

Category: Yeast bread

Kitchen: italian

Ingredients
Biga (starter)
Wheat flour, semolato di grano duro	330g
Water	240g
Yeast, pressed	3.5g
Dough
Biga (all)	about 570g
Wheat flour, semolato di grano duro	500g
Water	420g
Salt	14g

Cooking method

• Golden bread Altamura from the picturesque town of the same name in the Puglia region, which is at the very heel of the Italian boot, is famous throughout Italy. It is made from flour (semola di grano duro rimacinato) durum wheat with a high, I would even say the highest, gluten content (protein in it is about 14.8%!), Which grows on the plain of Tavoliere.
• This is a real Italian bread and to say about it that it has a hard crust and a wonderful crumb is to say nothing. The thickness of its crust is not less than 3mm, for example, a knife slips off it when cutting! If you press the bread with your finger, you will immediately hear a characteristic crunch. Fragrant crumb with irregular holes (alveoli) of a beautiful golden color with an intense wheat smell and taste.
• Real Altamura bread is baked in old wood-burning stoves (they are fired with oak wood) built of local porous stone. This bread, like wine and cheese in Italy, is protected by the DOP label - Denominazione di Origine Protetta (Protected by origin).
• But, as they say in the east, if you say "halva" 100 times in your mouth it will not become sweeter, so it is better to bake once than read it a hundred times.
• Biga
• 1. Mash the yeast into flour, add water and replace the dough. It is not necessary to develop gluten in it, it is enough to knead the biga for 3 - 4 minutes. Transfer the biga to a container (bowl), cover with foil and leave it for 24 hours.
• Main batch
• 2. Add to the big bag the water intended for kneading the dough and stir thoroughly once so that there are no lumps. Add the biga diluted with water to the flour mixed with salt and knead the dough.
• 3. Put the dough on the table oiled with olive oil (the dough is very wet - about 80% water!) and work with it until the gluten develops moderately. The dough will be smooth and elastic, velvety to the touch, and relatively easy to leave the table and hands (it took me about 15-18 minutes to knead this bread: 12 minutes with a mixer and 3 - 5 minutes with my hands).
• 4. Transfer the dough to a bowl greased with olive oil, cover with plastic foil and leave to rise at room temperature for 3 hours.
• 5. Preheat the oven with a stone or an inverted baking sheet to 250C.
• 6. Sprinkle the table well with flour (the same used for kneading) and place the dough on the table. Divide in two. Fold a ball from each part. Cover the balls with towels and let sit for 15 to 20 minutes. Line two proofing baskets or two bowls with towels. Flour the towels well. Transfer the blanks to baskets or bowls with towels, seam side up. Cover with other towels and place in the final proofing area for 1 - 1:30 hours or until the dough has doubled.
• To obtain the best result, the workpieces can be sent for proofing in the refrigerator overnight (12 hours). Before baking, soak the pieces at room temperature for 1 hour.
• 7. Transfer the workpieces onto a spade covered with semolina. Make one transverse cut (or two cross cuts) from edge to edge on the blanks
• There is another way to mold this bread. It is necessary to slightly stretch the workpiece on a shovel before planting it in the oven, giving it a rectangular shape. Then take one edge and fold it over the other (fold in half). From above, you need to make three oblique cuts (optional).
• Spray the oven with water, place the pieces on a stone or an inverted baking sheet, sprinkle with water again, and quickly close the oven.Reduce the temperature to 220C and bake for 50 to 55 minutes until golden brown. The finished bread, when tapped on the bottom, should emit a dull "empty" sound. Cool the finished bread on the wire rack.
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• 8. Bon appetite (bon appetit, it.)!

The dish is designed for

2 loaf

Time for preparing:

about 30 hours

Cooking program:

Oven

Note

1. DOP, i.e Denominazione di Origine Protetta (a name protected by origin) denotes a product whose quality and taste characteristics are wholly or mostly due to the geographical area in which it is produced and processed. This takes into account not only the natural characteristics of a particular region, but also the human factor.

The DOP distinctive mark is assigned to those products, the entire processing cycle of which, from the production of primary materials to the final
product, carried out in a specific area. Consequently, none of the stages of production can take place outside of a specific, strictly defined, geographical sector.

2. This recipe is based on Karol Field's recipe. I changed the proportions of some components - reduced the amount of yeast and water. Regarding the water, I think there was a clear mistake in the original recipe - the total amount of water in the finished dough was about 88%!

Idol32, another Italian bread, no words ...

[Idol32]

Yeah, I did not even hesitate to put it in the tabs on the queue, well, I love these holes, and I love long-fermented bread, it seems to me that this technique should work even with clumsy ones. And the result is always superb!
Thank you, Idol32 , if tomorrow morning I hadn’t left for the sea, I would have bothered her. Well, nothing, I'll put it on Monday.
one clarification - for the last proofing, you say - put in the basket seam up, this means that already on the baking sheet itself, turn up pop, that is, seam down, yeah? And then I want my, too, to be so even, but roughly sprinkled, it is evident that the seam remained at the bottom? (sorry for the meticulousness).

[2 Vilapo]

2 Vilapo

Yes. In Italy, they say that they have as many varieties of bread as there are old towers in each city, and each new one is tastier than the last!

So I will make bread, cut a slice, taste it and think - this is the best! But time passes and everything is repeated again, but with a completely different loaf ...

2 inusya

The bread is very, very good, but be sure to use durum wheat flour for it. Necessarily! The result will please!

[2 inusya]

2 inusya
The bread is very, very good, but be sure to use durum wheat flour for it. Necessarily! The result will please!

, there is! from hard varieties !!!

, there is! from hard varieties !!!

And where can I get it here, I'm in Feodosia, I barely found a whole grain of grain, I will bake on the one that is ..

And where can I get it here, I'm in Feodosia, I barely found a whole grain of grain, I will bake on the one that is ..

Maybe have? In Moscow, I used to buy it in the Azbuka Vkusa, and now it is being sold in the seventh continent. The other day I looked on the Internet - is there any other similar flour on sale. So the search found a lot of links to Ukrainian stores with such flour.

I am buying Alimenti Dallari semolato di grano duro. I saw it on your sites.

Maybe have? In Moscow, I used to buy it in the Azbuka Vkusa, and now it is being sold in the seventh continent. The other day I looked on the Internet - is there any other similar flour on sale. So the search found a lot of links to Ukrainian stores with such flour.

I am buying Alimenti Dallari semolato di grano duro. I see it on your sites.

In Kiev there is yes, but in Feodosia where I am now there is no such thing.

Then - the pipe! We must wait for some opportunity ...

Then - the pipe! We must wait for some opportunity ...

So it’s that I don’t bake it before my departure to Kiev? And I'll try with ours, come what may

Instead of durum flour, I use good semolina in proportion to normal flour 1/2, that is, for one part semolina 2 parts flour.I will not say that it is absolutely identical, but very similar.

Instead of durum flour, I use good semolina in proportion to regular flour

Hi, Tanyusha!
And, what is a good semolina (manufacturer)? I know that there are coarser and finer grindings, or they are still somewhat different between themselves

... one clarification - for the last proofing, you say - put in the basket seam up, this means that already on the baking sheet itself, turn up pop, that is, seam down, yeah? And then I want my, too, to be so even, but roughly sprinkled, it is evident that the seam remained at the bottom? (sorry for the meticulousness).

Sorry for not answering right away. Yes, this bread in a basket lined with a towel (which was well sprinkled with flour) must be placed with the seam up, and on the shovel (and then on the stone / baking sheet) it will lie on the opposite, seam / pop down.

... Ah, what is a good semolina (manufacturer)? I know that there are coarser and finer grindings, or they are still somewhat different between themselves

If you take semolina, I think the smaller one will do. Italian flour is quite fine, larger than ordinary flour, but finer than our semolina. The Italians grind their own twice.

[Summer resident]

So, I report on the work done (well, hold on!):
After reading the name of the flour in the introduction: "semola di grando duro ..." I went to see what I recently bought - just in case - we have such a store in the city, which if I go, then, well. you understand ... And it turned out:
True, the recipe itself had a slightly different name - "semolato di ...", but there was no time to figure it out, my hands itched painfully. The pack contained not exactly flour, but a very (very!) Thin semolina. I put dough on it for 24 hours, but still decided to add bread flour to the dough 50:50, like Summer resident wrote.
Well, all the water was poured into it, and everything else was like a recipe, it turned out to be a soup. I think: I will not add flour, in principle! She began to knead - as the soup interferes, so it looked both in the mixer and in the combine. I interfered, interfered, I remembered everything that I already know about the batter and left it for 1.5 hours to develop gluten on its own, without me, dear. But she helped him - every half hour - folded. After that, the dough looked much better. I think: "And now - Humpback! hands! 400 slaps on the table, followed by folding (counting!) And - - the dough began to move away from the hands and from the table !!! First time in life! This is what the battlefield looked like:
... I took it off my ears, and then my mother-in-law came and said: "Ira, what is it on your hair? ..." But pay attention to the dough - it is SMOOTH AND ELASTIC! The truth is still very liquid.
Since my strength was already running out, I decided to put it in the refrigerator overnight, let us both rest. In the morning I took it out, it warmed up for an hour, and I molded it (it already listened better), distance it and baked it.
To say that it is amazingly tasty is to say nothing !!! This is the most delicious bread that I have tasted and smelled in my life !!! It is juicy, of such a wonderful color, well, you can see it on the photo. It is clear that this is not exactly THAT flour (and not flour at all), and you need to adapt, and still learn, but IT'S WORTH IT! And my husband thinks so too (he was at work and did not see anything THIS).
The main thing for me is what happened!
Thank you very much, Idol!

Ira, what bread, what holes Well done! And I will return to Kiev, buy this flour, bake and also boast

[rimacinato]

Excellent result! It's just great and this flour is exactly what you need. Yes Yes! This is it. This is a cross between flour and semolina in our understanding. Italians grind it twice as evidenced by the name "semola di grano duro rimacinato". I had another one from another manufacturer and therefore the recipe contains the name of the one that I had, and the description of the one that Carole Field had. But in spite of everything, both of these things are the same, that semolato, that semola.

It must be repeated, but take 100% semola di grano duro rimacinato!

It must be repeated, but take 100% semola di grano duro rimacinato!

Okay thank you . Then I'll try with a clean semola.I will try to gradually add only water.

Ira, what bread, what holes Well done! And I will return to Kiev, buy this flour, bake and also boast

Thank you Lenochka!
You can do it! This is delicious bread!

Okay thank you . Then I'll try with a clean semola. I will try to gradually add only water.

This flour is VERY high in gluten. Although the dough is liquid, it begins to "set" within 8-10 minutes after the start of kneading (it starts to lag behind the bottom of the bowl)! I then fold it 4 times and that's it. The bread, of course, in the end turns out a little strange because of this (high content of gluten): not fluffy, not tender, but a real southerner from the Apennines with character!

Oh guys, you guys are so teasing with your delicious bread. I so often go to your topic and lick my lips. There is no such flour in my city. Only the Kalyani brand with the Italian flag, but the Tverskoy mill plant is indicated. Protein 10.4%. And semolina is sold only of the "M" brand. The bread is good. And here's how to swing your bread ... I'm afraid. that my torment will not work .. And I really want to.

You can try to do it with semolina, but I don't know what happens. In Italian, from durum wheat, protein is 14.8. It is usually used to make pasta and other homemade pasta. It has a yellow color and resembles very, very fine sand mixed with flour (I examined it with a sieve).

For such a strong flour, such a huge amount of water is taken. How our native decoy will behave is not clear. We must try, but in any case, the bread will be tasty and aromatic, especially if the preliminary or final (this option is better) proofing is carried out in the refrigerator (12 hours, as Ira did). Good luck!

I'll go and wipe my drool ... flour made in Italy is not visible on the horizon

I'll go and wipe my drool ... flour made in Italy is not visible on the horizon

Why is it so pessimistic? You can also make real Italian from ordinary bakery wheat flour Como bread or old bread como (a little more complicated than the previous one).

: girl_cray: хААААчу thisoooooooooooot !!!!!!!!!

: girl_cray: and only fermented malt

Then you can order the desired flour in Kiev. I have seen more than once that Kiev online stores are selling it. Perhaps they also have delivery in the country. Need to search.

Malt is optional. But for authenticity, you can also order it online.

I can't work with such a wet dough ... I tried to form a ciabatta a couple of times - it didn't work. So I'm afraid now.

With molding, everything is thought out by Italians. Here in this thread it is written how to fold the ciabatta. By the way, it is precisely this molding and stretching before laying on a shovel that helps the crumb acquire such large holes. And with old Como bread, the only difficulty is how to transfer it to a shovel after proofing. To do this, you need to use a plank: first, stop the workpiece from the towel onto it and then from it onto the shovel, well, stretch the workpieces a little already on the shovel (so that there are more holes).

somehow I will make up my mind and try again

Could you clarify. Bigu for 24 hours at what temperature to set? Thank you.

(I accidentally bought such flour at a sale at a very cool price. For Kiev residents - in "Selpo")

At room. When it was cold, I had it at 23-25 ​​degrees, now at 27-29C.

understandably.

(in my opinion, in the description, paragraph 5 is rearranged from 6. Some teapots, such as me, blindly follow the sequence in the recipe)

understandably.

(in my opinion, in the description, paragraph 5 is rearranged from 6. Some teapots, such as me, blindly follow the sequence in the recipe)

The fact of the matter is that the oven must be preheated in advance and therefore it is customary (for example, in the books of Bertinier, Reinhard, etc.) to indicate in recipes the sequence of actions in this order. I think that this is done on the basis that it is an unprepared person who can use the recipe.

I'm already at home and bought flour (what it was) ... I'm going to put a starter on the result, I will definitely report

I'm already at home and bought flour (what it was) ... I'm going to put a starter on the result, I will definitely report

Aha, we are waiting!

Look forward to!

Look forward to!

, yes, yes, while I was putting the biga in the kitchen, kneading toast bread, I looked, and our respected author put up another bread

Idol32, thanks for the recipe. I specially bought the necessary flour and made bread. To be honest, I only liked the taste of the bread after two days. Apparently insisted. The crumb and hard crust turned out to be very round. In general, I will still bake this bread (I must use flour). Thanks again for such wonderful recipes.

To your health! Real bread must ripen! I like the bread best of all a day after baking. Although there are options ...

, yes, yes, while I was putting the biga in the kitchen, kneading toast bread, I looked, and our respected author put up another bread

And you still can't keep up with him, master this one for now!

I baked some bread, but I'm not happy with the result, I sort of did everything right, but the holes are small The bread is delicious, as my daughter said: there is something in it ...
Idol32, and another thanks to you

Great holes!

You can work on the crust - make it more ruddy. But this is of course all very individual.

Great holes!

You can work on the crust - make it more ruddy. But this is of course all very individual.

You at least shoot me, you can't bake it harder, I kept it in the oven 1, 10 raised it to a level closer to the upper shadows, pale, and what are you going to do with him

I baked this bread twice. I like the taste and aroma and technology.
And since I do not believe in coincidences, I will call your Altamur - "my bread".
The coincidence lies in the fact that she acquired the "semolina fool" and immediately "stumbled upon" a discussion of the recipe.
Thank you!

To your health!

You at least shoot me, you can't bake it harder, I kept it in the oven 1, 10 raised it to a level closer to the upper shadows, pale, and what are you going to do with him

All this is strange ... In theory, the crust should darken. The longer you hold it, the darker it gets. Can the stove give the temperature below the set one?

[🔗]

Hello Idol! Hi, Lenochka!
You have got wonderful bread, beautiful, and holes! And I understand (and share) your frustration with the pale crust. I myself have a wealth of experience in the production of breads with a pale (and tough, not crispy) crust. Can I try to help you? Let this be advice teapot a beginner, but, nevertheless, maybe it will help you in some way.
In my experience, the color of the crust (if it's not a bun, but such a simple bread with no fat, no sugars, no eggs) strongly depends on how much we manage to create steam in the oven. Many of my breads began to turn out completely differently when I began to bake them in a cauldron or under a cauldron on a stone. Igor writes that you need to sprinkle the oven with water, and he really always gets a great crust. For my oven, "sprinkling the walls of the oven with water" is not enough to create the necessary humidity. I tried different methods, but the best (checked!) Is the oven in a cauldron or under a cauldron on a stone.
I'll give away a terrible secret right now. I baked this bread under a cauldron on a stone. You put the workpiece on a heated stone or sheet, take your grandmother's old cauldron, preferably cast-iron, but you can use any other one, not to heat it up, but as it is. Puff water inside and cover the workpiece. After 25-30 minutes you remove the cauldron and bake for 20-25 minutes. You will see what will happen. Or you can simply bake in a cauldron or in a roaster, or in a wok-pan with a lid. The famous Ludmila from Canada even covered it with a clay pot.
You can read about it here: 🔗 and there is still plenty, you've probably read about it somewhere.
Try it!

All this is strange ... In theory, the crust should darken.The longer you hold it, the darker it gets. Can the stove give the temperature below the set one?

Most likely those 200 * that it has for this bread is not enough ... therefore, it turns out light, but everything is hard with a crust ...

Of course, a pale crust is hard, even tough. And after the cauldron, it turns out to be thinner, crisp and golden in color. I baked at 220 *, like Igor's.

Irisha, of course thanks for the advice. Live and learn ... Of course I will try and bake like that. But I don’t have a stone yet, but I’ll think of something;) I’m working in this direction