Prep
45 minutes, plus 8–10 hours rising
Cook
1 hour
Serves
1 large loaf
Difficulty
Advanced
Region
Basilicata
What you’ll need
Ingredients
- 4¾ cups semola rimacinata di grano duro Semola Rimacinata →
- 7 oz active natural leaven
- 2⅓ cups water
- 2⅔ tsp fine sea salt
At the stove
Instructions
- 1
Mix the semola with most of the water and rest for 40 minutes.
- 2
Add the leaven, then the salt with the remaining water, and knead until strong.
- 3
Rise for 4–6 hours with three sets of folds.
- 4
Shape into a cylinder, then roll one end over to form the raised horn. Prove seam down for 1½ hours.
- 5
Bake at 480°F with steam for 20 minutes, then 375°F for 40 minutes until deeply coloured.
- 6
Cool fully before cutting; the crumb sets as it cools.
Recipe notes
This is a home adaptation, not the protected Pane di Matera specification.
The very open crumb comes from a wet dough and a strong leaven — expect practice runs.
Context
The bread of Matera in Basilicata is a protected durum wheat loaf recognised for its shape, long keeping and open crumb, historically baked in shared village ovens.
Sources: Editorial adaptation of documented Basilicata bread traditions, Ro & Ti Kitchen
The pieces used here
From the Kitchen
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