Prep
40 minutes, plus 8–10 hours rising
Cook
55 minutes
Serves
1 large loaf
Difficulty
Advanced
Region
Puglia
What you’ll need
Ingredients
- 4¾ cups semola rimacinata di grano duro Semola Rimacinata →
- 6⅓ oz active natural leaven
- 2¼ cups water
- 2⅔ tsp fine sea salt
At the stove
Instructions
- 1
Mix the semola and water and rest for 30 minutes.
- 2
Work in the leaven, then the salt, and knead until the dough is smooth. It will feel firmer than a bread-flour dough.
- 3
Rise for 4–5 hours at room temperature, folding twice in the first hour.
- 4
Shape into a round, then fold one side over to make the characteristic raised profile. Prove for 1½–2 hours.
- 5
Bake at 480°F with steam for 20 minutes, then at 390°F for 35 minutes more until the crust is dark.
- 6
Cool completely on a rack before cutting.
Recipe notes
Pane di Altamura is a protected product with its own legal specification; this is a home adaptation, not that specification.
Use only remilled durum semolina for the colour and texture.
Context
The bread of Altamura in Puglia is made from remilled durum semolina and is protected under EU rules that define its production area and method. Home versions follow the flour and method without carrying the name.
Sources: Editorial adaptation of documented Pugliese bread traditions, Ro & Ti Kitchen
The pieces used here
From the Kitchen
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