Altamura-Inspired Wood-Fired Bread

La storia di questo piatto

This is a bread inspired by Altamura's, a loaf of Puglia's golden durum wheat, born of semola, water, salt and the slow patience of a sourdough starter. It is a homage to the Murgia's bread-making spirit, not a claim to its protected name.

Ingredienti

• 500 g Re-milled durum wheat semolina
• 355 ml Lukewarm water
• 10 g Fine sea salt
• 100 g Semolina sourdough starter, refreshed and doubled

Preparazione

1. Refresh the sourdough starter 4-6 hours in advance: it should be doubled, airy and fragrant. Pour the semolina into a large bowl and make a well in the center. Dissolve the starter in the lukewarm water, pour it into the well and mix with your fingers, starting from the center and gradually widening, until all the semolina is hydrated. The dough will be lumpy and rough at first: this is normal.
2. Add the salt and work the dough on the counter for 10-15 minutes, pushing with the palm and folding, until it becomes smooth and elastic and, when pressed with a finger, slowly springs back. Place the dough in a bowl, cover it with a cloth and let it rest for 30 minutes at 24-26 °C, away from drafts. This is the first rest, before the folds.
3. After the first rest, perform four sets of stretch-and-folds, one every 30 minutes (the first right at the end of the rest, the others 30 minutes apart: 1 hour and 30 minutes in total between the first and last, plus 30 minutes of rest after the last set). With wet hands, grab a edge of the dough, gently stretch it upward and fold it over itself; rotate the bowl and repeat on all sides. Between sets, cover and let rest at 24-26 °C.
4. Once the folds are complete, let the covered dough rise at 24-26 °C for about 1-1.5 hours, until its volume has increased by roughly 50-70%: it should be puffy, light and with some bubbles on the surface. Don't wait for it to fully double, since fermentation will continue slowly in the refrigerator.
5. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and shape it into a round without deflating it. Let it rest covered for 15 minutes. Then choose the shape. Simple version: form a round, compact loaf, pulling the edges downward and sealing them well at the center. 'Priest's hat' version: divide the dough into two parts (about two-thirds and one-third), shape two taut balls, place the smaller one on top of the larger and press at the center with the palm or fingers, so the two parts join and the top part falls over the base forming the characteristic 'hat'.
6. Place the loaf in a generously floured cloth-lined basket with the seam (the sealed side) facing up, so that when inverted the seam ends up on the bottom and the smooth surface on top. For the priest's hat, position the hat toward the bottom of the basket so it stays on top after inverting. Cover it with a cloth and refrigerate for 10-14 hours (12 on average): the cold slows the yeasts without stopping them, and adds aroma and a crispier crust. The refrigerator is a modern adaptation, convenient for home baking.
7. Take the basket out of the refrigerator and leave it at room temperature for 1-2 hours (about 90 minutes on average). Check that the bread has risen: when gently pressed with a finger, the indentation should spring back slowly. Meanwhile, light the wood-fired oven 2-3 hours in advance (so already before removing the basket from the refrigerator, in the late night or early morning), so the vault heats evenly, and bring it to 250-270 °C.
8. When the oven reaches the right temperature, push the embers to the sides or remove them and sweep the floor well of ash and debris. Turn the bread out of the basket onto the floured peel with a quick, confident motion: the seam will now be on the bottom. If you like, score the surface with a clean cut using a sharp blade; scoring is not traditional and can be omitted, as the crust forms well even without cuts.
9. Load the bread with a smooth motion, in the center of the baking floor, away from the embers. Close the door and bake with a declining heat: start at 250-270 °C and let the temperature gradually drop. A loaf of about 800 g requires 60-75 minutes. It is done when the crust is dark and golden, chestnut-colored, and tapping the bottom with your knuckles produces a hollow, dull sound.
10. Remove the bread from the oven and place it on a wire rack so air circulates underneath. Do not cut it right away: the internal moisture needs to redistribute, otherwise the crumb stays gummy. Let it cool for at least 2 hours before slicing.