Pugliese Bread Recipes

PUGLIESE BREAD

Steps:

• Mix flour, 3 cups water, and yeast together in a large mixing bowl. Knead vigorously on a lightly floured surface; dough should be sticky and wet. After 10 minutes, add salt. Kneed until dough begins to pull away from the working surface and develops a smooth, light sheen, 5 to 7 minutes more.
• Lightly coat the interior of a large mixing bowl with olive oil; make sure the bowl is at least 3 times larger than the dough. Set dough in bowl, and let rise until it triples in volume, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
• Heat the oven to 500 degrees.with a baking stone or a baking cloche. Meanwhile, divide dough in half, and form two ovals or rounds. Allow to sit on generously floured parchment paper or dish towel. Let dough double in size, about 45 minutes.
• Invert dough onto heated baking stone or cloche, then score deeply with a razor or a sharp knife, making three slashes, each about 2 inches long. If you have a baking cloche, cover it immediately with the bell. If using a baking stone, you need to add moisture to the oven for at least 20 minutes of the baking process; place a pie pan filled with ice cubes on the floor of the oven to produce steam, and refill with more ice as necessary. Bake dough for 20 minutes.
• Remove the bell or moisture source, and lower temperature to 425 degrees. Bake until crust is a rich brown, about 25 minutes more.

PANE PUGLIESE (ITALIAN PEASENT BREAD)

Steps:

• Dissolve the yeast and malt in the warm water and allow it to stand for approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Add the additional water (1 cup at room temperature) to the dissolved yeast mixture. Add the flour and salt to this mixture and continue to mix until the dough begins to hold together. Knead the dough to a soft, smooth, and elastic consistency.
• Place the dough in a lightly floured bowl, and cover the bowl with a cotton or linen towel. Allow the dough to rise until double in volume (approximately 2 hours).
• Gently turn the risen dough onto a flour dusted work surface. Allow it to rest for 10 minutes. Dust a piece of canvas (untreated, 100% cotton), or a proofing board (lumber core plywood) with flour. Cup your hands beneath the dough and delicately fold sections of it toward the center rolling it in quarter turns until it is round.
• Turn the dough over and gently roll it on the work surface to firm its shape. Turn the dough over once more and place it on the canvas or board with the smooth side down. Cover it with a cotton or linen towel. Allow the dough to rise until it is puffy (approximately 30 minutes).
• Gently flatten the dough. Ease your hands beneath the risen dough and turn it upside-down onto a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper. Once again, ease your hands beneath the dough, this time stretching it gently from the center out. Cover it with a cotton or linen towel. Allow the dough to rise for an additional 30 minutes.
• As the dough is rising, place a baking stone in the oven and set the temperature to 500°F Allow the oven to heat for 30 minutes.
• Lower the oven temperature to 450°F Slide a baker's peel beneath the parchment paper. Make a circular incision on the surface of the dough. Slide the parchment paper from the peell onto the baking stone.
• After 20 minutes, check the oven to see if the loaf is browning evenly. If the loaf is not browning evenly, turn it around. If it is browning too quickly, cover the loaf with aluminum foil. Allow the loaf to bake until it is a deep golden color (approximately 30 more minutes).
• Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool on a rack.