Pane di Altamura - The Italian Baker - Carol Field
Today's bake: Pane di Altamura
Source: The Italian Baker - Carol Field
Note: Increased hydration from 86.67% to 91.67% due to fresh milled flour factor of 5%
Discussion: This bread has really expansive oven spring and blooming. The crust is nice and crisp and the crumb a soft cake like quality. The crumb tastes of dairy/cheesy and nutty flavors and the crust had notes of vanilla bean.
I recommend it to all who want a fun, easy to make bread that has an interesting visual appeal.
Make again? - Yes
Changes/Recommendations: Increase the TDW/number of loaves baked, slightly increase hydration due to the fresh ground grain.
Ratings
Shaping Videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phRWWndQW8s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXyowkDduNo Shaping begins at the 12 min mark.
Tony
Comments
Looks like you got the shaping spot on, well done Tony. I love the colour of the crumb and crust you achieved. I’m sure it was delicious.
Benny
It was tasty and was consumed quickly.
Tony
Nice semolina loaves. Well done.
Grazie
Probably even better than Pane di Altamura!
Not only whole durum, but fresh milled too and the results look great!
Nice yellow tinged crumb and iconic shaping done with aplomb.
Well done!
Michael
They were kinda fun to make and really tasty toasted then a little EVOO.
Tony
These look great Tony! I love the crazy shapes. I have a Mockmill, but unfortunately it's near impossible to buy durum grain in the UK.
Lance
It is a available in the UK but so far i've only found the flour. Not sure how much the shipping will be but treat yourself.
Sorry Abe, but at £11.99 shipping for a kilo or two of flour I will have to pass!
As another option, I wonder if some wholegrain Kamut flour might work, maybe blended 50/50 with some sem. rim.?
Lance
Another would be Emmer wheat.
Or what I think might be the best option would be to use some semola rimacinata + wheat bran. And if you can make the wheat bran kamut or emmer then even better.
After a quick search i'm getting the bran percentage to be about 14%.
This might work:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Molisana-Wholewheat-Durum-Semolina-Desserts/dp/B08X14SPJZ/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=durum+flour&qid=1686471166&sr=8-5
Lance
I've used their Semola Rimcinata before for Pane di Altamura. Very happy with the results. Didn't know they sold the wholegrain version too. This could be an option for me. Thank you Lance.
Thanks Lance - check out the video link to see the D.O.P. method.
Tony
and haven't had the pleasure of trying the wholegrain version of this flour. Very well done Tony. Looks delicious and shaping looks expertly done.
Correct me if I'm wrong, Abe, but I have always understood that rimacinata simply means that it is milled twice -- meaning that it's whole grain -- 100% extraction -- just put through the mill a second time.
Oh, and: beautiful bread, Tony.
Rimacinata means re-milled but it's traditionally done with semolina which is the endosperm. The part of the grain that forms white flour. Traditional Italian breads, like Pane di Altamura, are made from re-milled semolina and are not wholegrain.
I would like to try this version as i've never worked with wholegrain durum flour. Hope to treat myself to a packet soon. My local Italian store only sells the re-milled semolina and not the wholegrain. Will have to go on-line.
Thanks squattercity... I actually did do a double mill to see how fine I could get the flour.
Tony
Thanks Abe!
Tony
Janie's Mill, in Illinois (I think), sell durum flour for bread...I just got some yesterday and already made the biga...