Pugliese Bread

Serves: 4

Santiago Howell

1 January 1970

Based on User reviews:

45

Spice

49

Sweetness

53

Sourness

47

mins

Prep time (avg)

5.3

Difficulty

Ingredients:

2 tbsps

Salt

Directions:

1

In a large bowl, combine flour, 3 cups water, and yeast

2

Knead vigorously on a lightly floured surface; dough should be sticky and wet

3

After 10 minutes, add salt

4

Kneed until dough begins to pull away from the working surface and develops a smooth, light sheen, 5 to 7 minutes more

5

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

6

Set dough in bowl, and let rise until it triples in volume, 2 to 2 1/2 hours

7

Heat the oven to 500 degrees F with a baking stone or a baking cloche

8

Meanwhile, divide dough in 1/2, and form 2 ovals or rounds

9

Allow to rest on generously floured parchment paper or dish towel

10

Let dough double in size, about 45 minutes

11

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

12

If you have a baking cloche, cover it immediately with the bell

13

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

14

Bake dough for 20 minutes

15

Remove the bell or moisture source, and lower temperature to 425 degrees

16

Bake until crust is a rich brown, about 25 minutes more