Pane Toscano

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Kitchen scale
• •Large mixing bowl
• •Bench scraper
• •Baking stone or heavy inverted baking sheet
• •Metal pan for steam
• •Sharp blade or lame for scoring
• •Wire cooling rack

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the biga

   The night before you bake, dissolve the 1/8 teaspoon yeast in the 100g cool water. Let it stand for 5 minutes until slightly cloudy. Add the 150g flour and stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy, sticky dough forms. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 12 to 14 hours. The biga is ready when it has tripled in size, the surface is covered with bubbles, and it smells yeasty and slightly sour.

   The biga develops the flavor that salt would otherwise contribute. Do not skip this step or shorten it. The long fermentation creates the complexity this bread requires.
2. 2

   Mix the final dough

   Dissolve the 1/2 teaspoon yeast in the 200g cool water. Let it stand for 5 minutes. In a large bowl, tear the biga into rough pieces and add the yeasted water. Squeeze the biga through your fingers until it mostly dissolves into the liquid. It will be lumpy. Add the 350g flour and mix with your hands or a wooden spoon until no dry flour remains. The dough will be shaggy and sticky.

3. 3

   Develop the gluten

   Turn the dough onto an unfloured surface. Knead for 10 to 12 minutes. The dough will be sticky at first. Resist the temptation to add flour. Use a bench scraper to gather it when it sticks. After 10 minutes, the dough should become smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky but no longer sticky. It will feel alive in your hands.

   Without salt to tighten the gluten, this dough handles differently than salted bread. It will feel softer, more extensible. This is correct. Trust the process.
4. 4

   First rise

   Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature until doubled, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. The dough should feel puffy and light when you press it gently.

5. 5

   Shape the loaves

   Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide it in half. Working with one piece at a time, gently pat into a rough rectangle. Fold the top third down and the bottom third up, like a letter. Turn 90 degrees and repeat. Roll the dough under your palms to form a round or oblong loaf. The surface should be taut. Place the shaped loaves on a parchment-lined baking sheet, seam side down, leaving several inches between them.

   Handle the dough gently during shaping. You want to preserve the gas bubbles created during the first rise. These create the open, irregular crumb that is characteristic of proper Tuscan bread.
6. 6

   Second rise

   Cover the loaves loosely with a kitchen towel or oiled plastic wrap. Let rise until nearly doubled, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. The loaves should hold an indentation when you press them lightly with a floured finger, but spring back slowly. Meanwhile, place a baking stone or inverted baking sheet on the middle rack and a metal pan on the bottom rack. Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C) for at least 30 minutes.

7. 7

   Score and bake

   Dust the tops of the loaves with flour. Using a sharp blade or razor, slash the top of each loaf with one or two decisive cuts about half an inch deep. Slide the parchment with the loaves onto the hot stone. Immediately pour one cup of hot water into the metal pan below and close the oven door quickly. The steam is essential for crust development.

   The scoring allows the bread to expand without tearing randomly. Make your cuts with confidence. Hesitation creates ragged edges.
8. 8

   Finish baking

   Bake for 20 minutes with steam. Then remove the water pan and continue baking for another 20 to 25 minutes, until the crust is deeply golden brown and the loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. The internal temperature should reach 205°F (96°C). Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before slicing, at least one hour. The crust will crackle as it cools.

Chef Tips

• •Weigh your ingredients. Bread baking requires precision that measuring cups cannot provide. A kitchen scale is not optional for serious bread making.
• •The long, cool fermentation of the biga develops acetic and lactic acids that provide flavor complexity. Warm temperatures speed fermentation but produce inferior results. Patience is the ingredient that cannot be purchased.
• •This bread stales quickly because it lacks salt, which retains moisture. Plan to use it within two days. On day three, it becomes bread for ribollita or panzanella. Nothing is wasted.
• •If you cannot resist salting this bread, you are making something else. Call it what you like, but do not call it Pane Toscano.

Advance Preparation

• •The biga must be made 12 to 14 hours before you mix the final dough. Plan accordingly.
• •The shaped loaves can be refrigerated overnight for baking the next morning. Cover tightly and let them come to room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.
• •Baked loaves freeze well for up to one month. Refresh in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes after thawing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 44g)