Pane di Altamura
Durum wheat sourdough loaf
Apulia's golden durum-wheat sourdough, folded into a priest's hat
Locals in Altamura like to quote Horace, who praised the bread of this corner of Apulia two thousand years ago; in 2003 it became the first bread in Europe to receive DOP protection. Pane di Altamura is made only from twice-milled durum semolina grown on the Murgia plateau, sourdough, salt and water, and it is famous for keeping fresh for a week. The crust is thick and crunchy, the crumb is sunflower-yellow, springy and faintly sweet. Its classic shapes are the folded 'accavallato' and the tall 'cappello da prete', or priest's hat, made by folding the loaf over itself before baking. Eat it with olive oil and tomatoes, with burrata and grilled vegetables, or in thick slices beside a bean soup. Plain durum flour or coarse pasta semolina are the wrong substitutes: you need the fine, flour-like semola rimacinata, or the dough stays gritty and won't rise. Chef's tip: durum dough is extensible rather than springy, so knead it well and give it a stiff hydration; a wet durum dough spreads flat instead of standing tall.
- Total time
- 1210 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 14
Ingredients
For the leaven
- 1 oz sourdough starter
- ¼ cup water
For the dough
- 1 ⅓ lb semola rimacinata (fine durum wheat semolina)plus extra for dusting
- 1 ¾ cups waterlukewarm
- ½ oz fine sea salt
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Method
0/11 doneStep 1: The evening before, mix 1 oz sourdough starter, 2 ⅛ oz semola rimacinata (fine durum wheat semolina) and ¼ cup water in a jar. Leave at room temperature for 10–12 hours, until doubled and bubbly.
690 minStep 2: Mix 1 ⅓ lb semola rimacinata (fine durum wheat semolina) with 370 ml of the 1 ¾ cups water until no dry patches remain. Cover and rest for 30 minutes; the durum will soak up the water and turn smooth.
30 minStep 3: Add the leaven, ½ oz fine sea salt and the remaining water. Knead on the worktop for 10–12 minutes, pushing and folding, until the dough is smooth, firm, golden and slightly tacky but not sticky.
12 minStep 4: Shape into a ball, put it in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and leave at about 75°F for 4–5 hours, with one set of folds after the first hour. It should rise by about two thirds and feel light.
270 minStep 5: Turn the dough onto a surface dusted with semolina and shape a tight round. Rest for 15 minutes, then flatten it into a thick oval about 30 cm long.
15 minStep 6: For the priest's hat, fold the far third of the oval back over the middle, then fold the near side up over that, leaving the top edge overlapping by a few centimetres like the brim of a hat. Press the seam gently so the layers stick; the overlap opens into the characteristic tall, stepped crust in the oven.
Step 7: Set the loaf on a semolina-dusted tray or baking paper, cover with a cloth and prove for 1½–2 hours, until it has grown by about half and a fingertip dent springs back slowly.
105 minStep 8: Meanwhile heat the oven to 475°F (425°F fan) with a baking stone or heavy tray inside and a tin of water on the bottom shelf for steam.
45 minStep 9: Slide the loaf onto the hot stone and bake for 20 minutes, then remove the water tin, lower the heat to 400°F (350°F fan) and bake for 35–40 minutes more, until the crust is a deep golden brown and thick.
58 minStep 10: Check it: the base should sound hollow when knocked and the centre read 205°F. Turn off the oven and leave the loaf inside with the door ajar for 10 minutes to dry the crust.
10 minStep 11: Cool completely on a rack before slicing. Wrapped in a cloth, it keeps for up to a week.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 170 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 35 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pane di Altamura take?
- About 1210 minutes in total: 1150 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 14 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
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