Altamura Bread from the Wood-Fired Oven

La storia di questo piatto

Altamura bread is the soul of Puglia pressed into golden crust — a bread that carries centuries of sun-scorched wheat fields, of women's hands, of ancient towns carved in white stone above the Murgia plateau, where time moves slowly and flour is memory.

Ingredienti

• 500 g Reground durum wheat semolina, Senatore Cappelli variety
• 330 ml Lukewarm water
• 10 g Fine sea salt
• 100 g Natural starter (mother culture)

Preparazione

1. Pour the semolina into a large bowl and push it toward the edges, creating a small crater in the center, as if building a well. Dissolve the sourdough starter thoroughly in the lukewarm water, then pour it into the well and mix with your fingers, starting from the center and gradually expanding outward: at first it will seem like a lumpy and rough dough, but that's exactly right, it's only the beginning.
2. Now work the dough with energy, using the heel of your hand to push and fold it over itself, adding the salt little by little so it distributes everywhere without breaking down the gluten network. Work it with determination until you feel it become smooth and elastic under your hands, springy when you press it with a finger. Then cover it with a cloth and let it rest in the warm comfort of your kitchen, away from any drafts.
3. Every half hour, with wet hands so the dough doesn't stick, take an edge and fold it gently over itself, turning the bowl and repeating on all sides: it's like tucking in blankets, a gentle gesture that builds strength without deflating the gases. Do this four times, then let it rest until the volume has doubled: you'll know it's ready because the dough swells up, becomes light and full of tiny bubbles across the surface.
4. Tip the dough out onto a well-floured work surface and, with light cupped hand movements, shape it into a round form without pressing it down, as it must stay full of air. Let it rest covered, then shape it into its final compact ball, pulling the edges down toward the bottom and pinching them firmly in the center to seal them: if the edges open up, the dough won't hold its shape properly during the final rise.
5. Place the bread with the sealed side facing up into a well-floured cloth basket so it doesn't stick, cover it with a cloth and put it in the refrigerator. Here the cold slows down the yeast's work but doesn't stop it: this is the secret to deeply flavored bread, with a crispier crust and a crumb that stays soft and fresh for a long time without drying out.
6. Light the wood-fired oven well in advance, because the embers and the stones need to heat up thoroughly until they reach a very high temperature. Tip the bread out of the basket directly onto the floured peel with a quick and confident motion, then score the surface with a clean, decisive cut using a very sharp blade: that cut is the door that will allow the bread to open up beautifully as it bakes.
7. Slide the bread into the oven with a fluid motion and without hesitation, positioning it where the heat reaches but the flame doesn't lick it directly, otherwise it will burn before cooking through inside. Let it bake until the crust turns dark and golden, almost the color of chestnut wood, and if you flip it over and knock on the bottom with your knuckles you hear a hollow, empty sound, the sign that inside it's baked perfectly.
8. Take the bread out and place it on a cooling rack, away from surfaces that trap moisture, and resist the temptation to cut into it right away: inside it's still completing its cooking and the moisture needs to distribute evenly, otherwise the crumb stays gummy. Wait until it cools completely: only then, when you cut into it, will you experience the full aroma and hear the crust singing as it cracks under the knife.