Pane di Altamura

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Kitchen scale (essential for bread baking precision)
• •Dutch oven with lid, 5-quart or larger, or baking stone with cast iron skillet for steam
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Bench scraper
• •Razor blade or sharp serrated knife for scoring
• •Wire cooling rack

Instructions

1. 1

   Build the biga

   The night before baking, combine 150g semola rimacinata with 100g room temperature water and 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast in a medium bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon until a shaggy, stiff dough forms. No smooth consistency needed here. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature (65-72°F) for 12 to 16 hours. The biga is ready when it has doubled, shows a slightly domed surface with a few cracks, and smells pleasantly yeasty with a hint of tang.

   If your kitchen runs warm, refrigerate the biga after the first two hours and let it develop slowly overnight. Cold fermentation builds flavor.
2. 2

   Mix the final dough

   Add 225g warm water to the bowl with the biga. Use your hands to break the biga into rough pieces, squeezing and stirring until it mostly dissolves into a slurry. Some lumps remain. That's fine. Add 350g semola rimacinata, 10g salt, and 1/4 teaspoon yeast. Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture becomes too stiff to stir, then turn it onto a clean work surface.

3. 3

   Knead until smooth

   Knead the dough firmly for 10 to 12 minutes. Durum wheat absorbs water slowly, so the dough will feel stiff and resistant at first. Push with the heel of your hand, fold, rotate, repeat. After five minutes, the texture begins to change. After ten, the dough becomes smooth, slightly tacky, and springs back when poked. The surface should look satiny, not rough. This is a firmer dough than most bread recipes produce. Trust the process.

   Resist adding flour during kneading. The tackiness resolves itself. Extra flour toughens the crumb.
4. 4

   First rise

   Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel. Let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 2 to 3 hours depending on your kitchen temperature. The dough is ready when a floured finger pressed half an inch into the surface leaves an indentation that slowly springs back halfway.

5. 5

   Shape the loaf

   Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface. Press gently to deflate, then fold the edges toward the center like an envelope: bottom third up, top third down, left side over, right side over. Flip the dough seam-side down. Cup your hands around the dough and drag it toward you on the work surface, using the friction to tighten the ball and create surface tension. The skin should feel taut. Rotate and repeat until the loaf holds a proud round shape.

   Traditional Altamura shapes include a round loaf with a center seam or the 'cappello del prete' (priest's hat) with overlapping folds. The round shape works best for home ovens.
6. 6

   Final proof

   Dust a sheet of parchment paper generously with semolina. Place the shaped loaf seam-side down on the parchment. Dust the top lightly with more semolina. Cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel and let rise until the dough has increased by half its size and feels pillowy when gently pressed, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. The surface should hold a slight indentation without springing back aggressively.

7. 7

   Preheat with steam setup

   One hour before baking, position a rack in the lower third of your oven. Place a Dutch oven with its lid inside, or set a baking stone on the rack with an empty cast iron skillet on the rack below. Heat to 475°F. The thermal mass needs time to saturate with heat. Don't rush this step. A properly heated vessel or stone makes the difference between good crust and great crust.

8. 8

   Score and load

   Using a sharp knife or razor blade held at a 45-degree angle, slash a cross pattern into the top of the loaf, cutting about half an inch deep. The cuts should be decisive, not tentative. If using a Dutch oven, carefully remove the lid, lift the loaf by the parchment edges, and lower it inside. Replace the lid immediately. If using a stone, slide the loaf (still on parchment) onto the stone and pour one cup of hot water into the skillet below. Close the oven door quickly to trap steam.

9. 9

   Bake with steam

   Bake covered (or with steam) for 25 minutes. The steam allows the crust to stay flexible while the loaf expands, producing the characteristic 'ears' where your scores open dramatically. After 25 minutes, remove the Dutch oven lid or open the oven door briefly to release remaining steam.

10. 10

    Finish the crust

    Reduce oven temperature to 425°F. Continue baking uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes more, until the crust turns deep amber and the loaf sounds distinctly hollow when you thump its bottom. The internal temperature should register 205-210°F on an instant-read thermometer. Don't pull it early. Altamura bread requires a thick, well-developed crust for proper texture and keeping quality.

11. 11

    Cool completely

    Transfer the loaf to a wire rack and resist all temptation to cut into it for at least two hours. Three is better. The interior continues cooking as residual heat redistributes. Cutting too soon releases steam that should remain trapped, leaving you with a gummy crumb. Listen to the crust crackle as it cools. That sound means you've done it right.

Chef Tips

• •Semola rimacinata differs from regular semolina. The re-milling creates a finer texture that hydrates more evenly and produces the characteristic golden, tender crumb. Bob's Red Mill semolina works acceptably, but imported Italian semola rimacinata from brands like Caputo or Molino Grassi delivers authentic results.
• •This bread improves on the second day as the flavors meld and the crumb settles. Store it cut-side down on a wooden board, uncovered. The thick crust protects the interior better than any plastic wrap.
• •For a more pronounced tang and complexity, extend the biga fermentation to 24 hours in the refrigerator. Cold slows yeast activity while allowing enzymes and bacteria to develop deeper flavor.
• •Toast slices of day-old Altamura bread, rub with a cut garlic clove, drizzle generously with good olive oil, and finish with flaky salt. This is frisella's elegant cousin, perfect alongside any bowl of soup or braise.
• •The dough handles firmly because durum wheat contains less gluten-forming protein than bread flour. Expect resistance during kneading. The texture smooths out through persistence, not added water.

Advance Preparation

• •The biga must ferment 12 to 16 hours before mixing the final dough. Plan to start it the evening before you want to bake.
• •Shaped dough can be refrigerated after the final shaping for up to 18 hours. Cover tightly, then bring to room temperature for 1 hour before baking.
• •Baked bread keeps at room temperature for 5 to 7 days stored cut-side down on a board. The crust softens slightly but the crumb remains moist.
• •Freeze whole or sliced loaves wrapped tightly for up to 3 months. Refresh frozen bread in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes to restore crust crispness.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 115g)