Pane Siciliano is a traditional bread from Sicily made with durum wheat (semolina), sometimes a little olive oil (as I do in this recipe), and even sweeteners such as honey or barley malt syrup. The flavor is nutty, sweet, and with a buttery mouthfeel, thanks to the olive oil. The sesame seeds densely coating the exterior bring a peanut butter-like flavor and nuttiness that I find irresistible.
I was nervous when I started testing this Pane Siciliano bread recipe.
I was nervous when I started testing this pane Siciliano bread recipe. I’ve baked often with durum wheat, but I usually mix it with modern wheat to get the best of both worlds: a golden crumb and crust from the durum, as well as loft and openness from modern wheat. But instead of following the same path, I decided to go all-in and make a traditional Sicilian-style bread using 100% durum.
The resulting bread is a little different than what you usually see here at The Perfect Loaf. It doesn’t have a dramatic single slash across the top (like my best sourdough recipe), deep mahogany colors, and, most noticeably, an airy interior (the crumb is very tight)r. But the good news is, the loaf is everything I had hoped it would be and more.
When heavily toasted, slices of this bread take on a new dimension. The flavor of the sesame seeds is amplified, the crust turns wonderfully brittle, and the crumb shifts from golden to straight-up resplendent. This is the same reason I use durum flour in my pizza dough: the crispness and crunch that develop when exposed to high heat are delectable.
Durum flour
This pane Siciliano is made with 100% durum wheat semolina. For the best results, be sure to use durum that’s labeled “extra fancy” or “semolina rimacinata” (which means twice-milled semolina). This durum wheat is milled incredibly fine and performs the best in bread doughs.
If you have semolina (typically used for pasta), which is coarsely milled durum wheat, feel free to try the recipe and experiment. Note that the dough will likely be stickier, resulting in a loaf with a more closed crumb, but the flavor and texture in the final bread will still be fantastic.
I source my durum flour from Central Milling (get their “Organic Pasta Flour”) and Flourist.
See my comprehensive guide to durum flour for selecting the right flour for bread (or pasta).
Baking Schedule
This pane Siciliano is made over two days for increased flavor and a convenient baking schedule for baking at home. However, it’s possible to make this bread all in a single day—direct method—by allowing the dough to proof on the counter, shaped and covered, until the dough is puffy, relaxed, and passes the dough poke test.
Pane Siciliano Recipe
For tips on calculating baker’s percentages or modifying this formula, see my post on baker’s percentages (baker’s math).
Vitals
| Total dough weight | 1,800 grams |
| Prefermented flour | 11.0% |
| Levain in final dough | 21.0% |
| Hydration | 75.0% |
| Yield | Two 900g loaves |
Total Formula
Desired dough temperature: 78°F (25°C) (see my post on the importance of dough temperature).
| Weight | Ingredient | Baker’s Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 991g | Durum flour, finely milled (“durum extra fancy”) | 100.0% |
| 35g | Extra-virgin olive oil | 3.5% |
| 694g | Water 1 (levain and autolyse) | 70.0% |
| 50g | Water 2 (mix) | 5.0% |
| 20g | Fine sea salt | 2.0% |
| 11g | Ripe sourdough starter, 100% hydration | 1.1% |
Additional ingredients
White sesame seeds, for topping (these are my favorite sesame seeds)
Pane Siciliano Method
1. Prepare the stiff levain – 9:00 p.m.
| Weight | Ingredient | Baker’s percentage |
| 109g | Durum flour | 100.0% |
| 65g | Water 1 (levain) | 60.0% |
| 11g | Ripe sourdough starter, 100% hydration | 10.0% |
Mix the ingredients in the chart above in your favorite jar and leave them covered at a warm temperature, 74-76°F (23-24°C), to ripen overnight. This is a stiff levain; if it is exceedingly hard to knead the ingredients together, use a little more water to make incorporation easier.
2. Autolyse – 8:00 a.m.
| Weight | Ingredient |
| 882g | Durum flour |
| 628g | Water 1 (autolyse) |
I use the autolyse technique for this recipe to help reduce the total mixing time required, but I also find it helps aid in the dough’s extensibility when using durum flour.
Warm or cool the autolyse water so that the temperature of the mixed dough meets the final dough temperature (FDT) of 78°F (25°C) for this recipe. Place the flour and water 1 in a large bowl. Use wet hands to mix until no dry bits remain; the dough will be shaggy and loose. Use a bowl scraper to scrape down the sides of the bowl to keep all the dough in one area at the bottom. Cover the bowl and place it near your levain for 1 hour.
3. Mix – 9:00 a.m.
| Weight | Ingredient |
| 35g | Extra-virgin olive oil |
| 50g | Water 2 (mix) |
| 20g | Fine sea salt |
| 185g | Ripe levain (from Step 1) |
Add the salt and levain to the top of the dough in autolyse and use a splash of water 2 to moisten. With wet hands, mix thoroughly. Durum tends to feel incredibly sticky when mixing. Use wet hands or a dough whisk to help make mixing easier. Add the remaining water if the dough feels like it can handle it.
Next, knead the dough for a few minutes using either the slap and fold technique or folds in the bowl. For this dough, I kneaded for about 5 minutes until the dough smoothed and became elastic. Transfer the dough back into the bowl.
Spread the olive oil over the top and pinch it into the dough. Mix the oil into the dough by folding it up and over for 3 to 4 minutes. Once the oil is thoroughly mixed into the dough, transfer the dough to a bulk fermentation container and cover.
4. Bulk Fermentation – 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (3 hours)
At a warm room temperature, 74-76°F (23-24°C), bulk fermentation should take about 3 hours.
This dough will require 2 sets of stretches and folds during bulk fermentation. After the first 30 minutes, wet your hands, grab the side of the dough farthest from you, and stretch it over to the other side. Rotate the bowl 180 degrees and repeat. Then rotate the bowl a quarter turn and stretch and fold that side. Rotate the bowl 180 degrees again and finish with a stretch and fold on the last side. The dough should be neatly folded up in the bowl. Cover and repeat these folds every 30 minutes for 2 sets of stretches and folds. Then let the dough rest, covered, for the remainder of bulk fermentation.
5. Divide and Preshape – 12:30 p.m.
After 3 hours, the dough should be well-risen and puffy in the bulk fermentation container. Durum flour will sometimes show little holes scattered on top of the dough; don’t worry about them.
Fill a small bowl with water and place it next to your work surface. Scrape the dough onto a clean counter and divide it into two equal pieces. With one wet hand and a bench knife in the other, preshape the pieces of dough into loose rounds.
Let the dough rest, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
6. Shape – 1:00 p.m.
Place a baking sheet or clean kitchen towel next to your work surface and spread an even layer of white sesame seeds on top.
Flour the top of the preshaped round and your work surface. Using your bench knife, flip one of the rounds over onto the floured area. Using floured hands, shape the dough into a bâtard. Transfer the shaped dough, seam-side up, to the pan with sesame seeds and rock it back and forth so the seeds stick.
Gently transfer the dough to an 11-inch long proofing basket, seam-side up. Repeat with the remaining round.
See my guide to topping bread dough for more instructions (and topping inspirations).
7. Proof – 1:30 p.m. to 9:00 a.m.
Cover the baskets with a large, reusable plastic bag and seal shut. Place the baskets in the refrigerator to proof overnight.
8. Bake – 9:00 a.m.
Place an oven rack with a baking surface on top in the bottom-third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C) for 30 minutes. Due to the oval shape of these loaves, I prefer to bake them directly on a baking surface and steam my oven. See my guide to steaming a home oven for bread baking for instructions.
Take one of the proofing baskets out of the fridge, uncover it, and put a piece of parchment paper over the basket. Place a pizza peel or inverted baking sheet on top of the parchment, and using both hands, flip everything over. Gently remove the basket and score the dough. Repeat with the other basket.
Below, you can see my using my clever Wire Monkey UFO baker’s lame, which is perfect for scoring at a 90° angle to the dough.
Slide the dough into the oven, side by size. Steam the oven by pouring ice into the preheated pan at the bottom of the oven. Bake for 20 minutes. Vent the oven of steam by removing the steaming pans. Continue to bake for 35 minutes more. When done, the loaf should have an internal temperature of around 204°F (95°C), and the crust should be golden-colored. Let the loaves cool on a wire rack for 1 to 2 hours before slicing with your favorite bread knife.
This pane Siciliano will keep well for a week or more when stored properly.
Print
Pane Siciliano (Semolina and Sesame Sourdough Bread)
- Prep Time: 23 hours
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 24 hours
- Yield: 2 loaves
- Category: Main course
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
Pane Siciliano is a traditional bread from Sicily made with durum wheat (semolina), sometimes a little olive oil (as I do in this recipe), and even sweeteners such as honey or barley malt syrup. The flavor is nutty, sweet, and with a buttery mouthfeel, thanks to the olive oil. The sesame seeds densely coating the exterior bring a peanut butter-like flavor and nuttiness that I find irresistible.
Ingredients
Levain
- 109g durum flour
- 65g water
- 11g ripe sourdough starter (100% hydration)
Autolyse
- 882g durum flour
- 628g water
Main Dough
- 35g extra-virgin olive oil
- 50g water
- 20g fine sea salt
- 185g ripe levain
Instructions
- Levain (9:00 p.m.)
In a small bowl mix the Levain ingredients. Cover the jar and keep it at a warm temperature overnight. - Autolyse (8:00 a.m)
In a mixing bowl, add the Autolyse ingredients until no dry bits remain. Cover the bowl and let rest for 1-hour. - Mix (9:00 a.m.)
Add the salt and levain to the top of the dough in autolyse and use a splash of the remaining water to moisten. With wet hands, mix thoroughly. Add the remaining water if the dough feels like it can handle it. Knead the dough for a few minutes using either the slap and fold technique or folds in the bowl until the dough smooths and becomes elastic. Transfer the dough back into the bowl. Spread the olive oil over the top and pinch it into the dough. Mix the oil into the dough by folding it up and over for 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the dough to a bulk fermentation container and cover. - Bulk Fermentation (9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.)
This dough will require 2 sets of stretches and folds during bulk fermentation at 30-minute intervals. After the second set, let the dough rest, covered, for the remainder of bulk fermentation. - Divide and Preshape (12:30 p.m.)
Scrape the dough out to a clean work surface. Use water and a wet hand, and your bench knife, divide the dough in half. Lightly shape each half into a round shape and let rest for 30 minutes, uncovered. - Shape (1:00 p.m.)
Place a baking sheet or clean kitchen towel next to your work surface and spread an even layer of white sesame seeds on top. Flour the top of the preshaped round and your work surface. Using your bench knife, flip one of the rounds over onto the floured area. Using floured hands, shape the dough into a bâtard. Transfer the shaped dough, seam-side up, to the pan with sesame seeds and rock it back and forth so the seeds stick. Gently transfer the dough to an 11-inch long proofing basket, seam-side up. Repeat with the remaining round. - Proof (1:30 p.m. to 9:00 a.m. the next day)
Cover proofing baskets with reusable plastic, seal, and place into the refrigerator overnight. - Bake (The next day, 9:00 a.m.)
Place an oven rack in the bottom-third of the oven with a baking surface on top and preheat to 450°F (230°C). Take one of the proofing baskets out of the fridge, uncover it, and put a piece of parchment paper over the basket. Place a pizza peel or inverted baking sheet on top of the parchment, and using both hands, flip everything over. Remove the basket and score the dough. Repeat with the other basket. Slide the dough into the oven, side by size. Steam the oven by pouring ice into the preheated pan at the bottom of the oven. Bake for 20 minutes. Vent the oven of steam by removing the steaming pans. Continue to bake for 35 minutes more. When done, the loaf should have an internal temperature of around 204°F (95°C), and the crust should be golden-colored. Let the loaves cool on a wire rack for 1 to 2 hours before slicing.
Notes
The extra-virgin olive oil can be left out of this recipe with no other changes.
Pane Siciliano FAQs
Can I use semolina flour instead of durum flour for this bread?
Yes, you can. Semolina is more coarsely milled durum wheat, so expect slightly less baking performance, though the final loaf will still have a nice rise and fantastic flavor.
Can I leave out the olive oil for this Pane Siciliano?
Yes, you can leave out the olive oil altogether (there’s no need to add water in its place).
What’s Next?
For another recipe using durum wheat (semolina, in this case), look at my Seeded Sourdough, which incorporates a large seed soaker directly into the dough. Or, for a super crunchy snack, make my Italian-style rusks, Sourdough Friselle.
Buon appetito!
134 Comments
Note: most sour dough uses only three ingredients. flour, water, and salt. Adding oil will will soften the bread, and also may affect the open crumb structure.But, the oil will aid the shelf life.
Yup, all good points!
The first time I made this, it was seamless, perfect, no issues at all. I was conservative and added very little (if any) of the final water. Fast forward a few months, and I got way too saucy and thought, "well, let's just try all the water … I think this can handle it." HA! Who knew semolina ciabatta could be SO tasty?? When toasted, it actually reminded me of a very delicate fried polenta. Next time, I will exercise better judgment, but I'm going to remember this as an affirmation that, when baking, one can nearly always find a way to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
Ha ha, well said and love your comment Fey. I've found that durum is pretty sensitive to overhydration, though, it can usually take a lot of water, it really depends on the flour you're using! And gosh, durum ciabatta sounds delicious to me. It's giving me some ideas for a new recipe… 🙂
For what it's worth, the flour was Caputo semola rimacinata …
Super happy these worked out well for ya, Tim! Yea, I would say drop the rack a few rungs and see how that helps. It might also help you eke out a bit more rise in the loaves.
I have arthritis in my hands. Can I use my stand mixer to knead this dough?
Yes, you absolutely can, Nina!
I’ve baked so many of your wonderful bread recipes and have had incredible success. The Pane Siciliano is the first one that disappoints. It just never seemed to gain enough structure even though I exceeded the suggested number of stretch and folds. I even baked them in a cloche to hopefully improve the oven spring, but it didn’t seem to help. Pretty flat loaves.
I had no luck with this recipe either. I tried it four times, varying the time and temp for bulk fermentation and it turned out sticky and dense every time. I really wanted this one to work but I’ve given up. I may try one more time and either bulk ferment over night or use some commercial yeast.
Ah so sorry to hear about that!! See my comments to Dave above.
This is so, so dependent on the durum flour you're using! I've found a good source with Central Milling; their durum works beautifully. Sorry to hear about this, Dave!
Do you put your upper shelf of baking stone in for this bread? If so, is it possible to use a large pan instead of a second stone? I have a gas oven, so I was hoping to catch more steam by using the pan. Update after baking: I live at an altitude of 4,683 ft. I have determined that I must turn down my oven by 25 degrees ( for every bread), so not to get burnt spots on the bottom of the loaf and and bake in a covered vessel to get enough steam for better spring.
Dawn — Try putting one or two sheet pans under your dutch oven to avoid a dark bottom on your loaf
I don't add one to the top! You can put a baking sheet below your DO to help reflect some of the heat from the oven.
Both this recipe and the Pane Pugliese in the Perfect Loaf cookbook have very dry levains. Can you tell us why? What would be different if I increased the water in the levain to 100% (+ 44 g) and reduced the amount of water in the autolyse (- 44 g)?
I use a stiff levain to try and get more dough strength (less proteolytic enzyme activity). See the levain section in my cookbook for a longer explanation!
A friend sent me a a couple of bags of Durum flour which I’ve used for pasta and pizza dough but still had plenty let that now needs to be used so, with your recipe I’m in the process of making this bread today and was wondering if you have a recommended brand for the 11-inch long proofing basket. I checked out your various posts for equipment recommendations but couldn’t this specific oblong/rectangular basket.
Any brand works for those baskets, though I like the ones at SFBI.com.
Can this recipe be a one day wonder? I just did the Light Deli Rye and love it, thanks. Can this recipe be baked in 2 Pullman pans?
Yes, it can be!
I made this bread it’s good but I was hoping it would be less sour with the addition of sugar and oil.
Hey, Patty! To make it less sour, use your starter/levain before it becomes overly ripe (sour). You’ll get less sourness if you ferment it at room temp instead of putting it to proof in the fridge, too!
I used Italian Semola durum flour and followed the recipe. I didn’t have lava rocks. Instead, I used the dutch oven cooker and it worked fine. I wish I could embed pictures in the comments to show the group what they looked like.
So glad it worked out well for you!
Can I bake the loaves in a dutch oven? If so, do I need to adjust the oven temp and time?
Yes, it’ll work just fine in a Dutch oven. Same time and temps.
I tried this recipe today! I looked everywhere for fine semolina flour. I finally gave up and froze a quart of semolina #1 and ground it fine in my vitamix. I just filled it about 1/4 of the way and buzzed the heck out of it. It MUST be cold for this to work. It’s my first time ever making a sourdough loaf. I increased the hydration because I like to make my life harder and I wanted a more open crumb. I also effed up and added the olive oil with the water 1. And it was, um, wrong. But my final dough looked good! Proofing and baking now! I literally have zero idea what the final product is gonna look like and I CANNOT wait!
Whoa that’s amazing, Kiki. How did it turn out?
This looks perfect for clumsy bakers like me and the comments here are very encouraging! Just one question: is it possible to decrease or even skip altogether the cold fermentation stage, if I want to bake sooner?
Yes, you can shape the dough, cover it, and proof on counter 1 to 3 hours until it passes the poke test. Let me know how you like this one, Margen!
Thank you for replying! I tried it both ways, the bread was delicious even with skipping cold fermentation but more so when I followed your recipe by heart.
I found that leaving it on the counter for about 2 hours after the final shaping at around 70-71F (room temp my apt) before putting it in the fridge overnight gave a better rise. I use a starter made with 1/2 -3/4 AP and 1/4-1/2 rye (depends on my mood, LOL). Could it be may ambient temp that requires the extra time before placing in the fridge? I also autolyse to semolina rimacinata in the morning with the biga and without the salt for 90minutes.Could it be may ambient temp that requires the extra time before placing in the fridge? (So maybe in the summer if the A/C is not on, less time on the counter?
I was thinking this would make an awesome roll for sandwiches. Like little mini muffalatas …would I shape after bulk and then just put straight into fridge overnight or let it sit out for 30mins maybe then retard?
Yup, this works so, so well for sandwiches like that. I would retard straightaway after shaping.
Hi Maurizio,
This bread looks delicious! I don’t have my starter with me, can I make this with yeast?
You can but I don’t have measurements for you on that!
70% hydration worked well for me:
1kg Calemma Semola Rimacinata Di Grano Duro
700g water
20g salt
20g fresh yeast
35g EV Olive Oil
(Semola from recent trip to Italy).
Hi Maurizio
I’m wondering why we’re using a durum starter and not a regular stiff starter.
I’m asking because after many hours there’s been very little rise in the levain.
Thanks
Marlon
Hey, Marlon! I’m using a *levain* made with durum flour, but you could use your typical starter here if you’d like.
Any problem using a Dutch oven for the Pane Siciliano rather than in the oven with ice.
No problem there at all, Stephen!
Hi Maurizio. Is the flour in your recipe the same as Semolina rimacinata?
Yes! I talk about that in detail on my post about durum flour.
Maurizio,
Do you think I can line my bannenton with the Sesame seeds right before I proof the loaves in the refrigerator? Or would it be better to do the baking sheet method? Maybe I’ll do one of each and see how it works out
I like to roll the dough in the seeds to ensure even application, but I sometimes do as you suggested when I’m using wheat germ, I just sprinkle inside the basket. It’s easier for sure!
I made this yesterday and worked perfect. I did make one change since I only had 1/2 the amount needed n Semonlina flour so I used bread flour. Do you have source for Semolina flour that is maybe less expensive than the Bob Mill small bag in the store? My other favorite right now is the High fiber whole wheat bread. I mill my own flour so always looking for more options. Thanks for doing the research for us and sharing. Terry
So glad to hear that, Terry! Check the post above in the Flour Selection section, I have a few links for flour sources I enjoy!
I’ve made this twice already. The buttery mouth fill is amazing. You cautioned about the stickiness so I used the yudane technique and it was very easy to handle.
That’s a fantastic idea, Joe! Now I need to try that 🙂 Glad you enjoy this one, I’m making it again tomorrow—can’t get enough.
maurizio, this bread is divine. i only made one loaf, a boule, used a 9″ banneton and baked in a dutch oven.. my levain was a bit dry and didn’t look active enough but i used it anyway. my second glitch was tossing the salt, olive oil, water and levain all together at once with the rimacinata. it came together nicely regardless. i didn’t get enough of a rise after 3 hours but tossed it in the fridge for overnight ferment. the baked dough did not rise perfectly but the bread itself tasted sublime. my 98 year old mother had it for lunch and requested it again for dinner. i’m looking forward to baking it again soon and ironing out my issues. thank you so much for sharing this with us. be well, jude
Ahh that’s so wonderful to hear, Jude! Glad you guys liked it (and your mom!). Sounds like you made great adjustments along the way as needed, that’s fantastic. Your baker’s intuition shining through 🙂 Thanks for the comments and happy baking!
thanks for YOUR comments, too, maurizio. today was loaf number 2. everything went according to plan and this loaf is now part of my beloved small group of perfected breads. the crust, the flavor, the aroma are all what we all want from a loaf of bread!
Hi- curious what you did differently on try 2? I was surprised at how stiff/dry the durum levain was- I might’ve used it too early. (We’ll see). Still a WIP.
Just wondering why only two sets of stretch adn folds with this flour/recipe?
It all depends on how the dough is feeling for you. I find the hand mixing and moderate hydration (relative to this thirsty durum flour) is enough strengthening to only require two sets. If your dough still feels very slack, give it another!
Makes sense. Thanks for that
Is it possible to overdo the stretch and folds, as in is there a reason as to why, say, you don’t do stretch and folds every 15 minutes until the bulk fermentation is done? Is it because it is not advantageous and a time waste, perhaps there is an advantage to letting the dough and gluten relax for a period of time after the sets of stretch and folds?
Yes, there are reasons! I talk about all this on my guide to stretching and folding during bulk fermentation. Give that a quick read and let me know if you still have Q’s!
Thanks – One more quick question – why are the slashes across diagonally on this loaf rather than the ususal top to bottom ?
Hi Maurizio! I have been following your posts for several years now, and finally thought I would comment. First, I can’t thank you enough for your passionate advocacy and experimentation with sourdough baking; no one else does it better, and the variety of quality recipes is amazing. Second, this recipe is excellent; I made it this weekend and loved the result, although I was a tad short on semolina so I had to add 100g of KABF, which didn’t seem to have much effect one way or the other. I also love your baguette recipe, although I am still learning how to shape the darn things. BTW, for steam I use lava rocks in a small roasting pan that I preheat and pour water over to begin the bake, then pull it after 20 minutes. I am very happy with the crust this way, but nothing can match the crust I can get with a Dutch oven. I switched to lava rocks a couple of years ago because I am not sure handed enough any more to schlep a preheated 7qt hunk of cast iron out of an oven and put it back in again. I’ve tried ceramics, but not the same by a long shot. I live in Vermont where I have access to winter and spring wheat grown within a few miles of me, which I mill and add to my own recipes. And, Maine Grains isn’t far away and their heirloom grain varieties are fantastic. Anyway, greetings and keep up the great work!
Ah, thank you so much for the comments, Ron, I really appreciate that! Glad to have you here for so long. Also happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe, adding in a bit of wheat is just fine, and in fact, it’s nice to have a blend sometimes too. You’ll get a lighter loaf!
Yes, probably the biggest issue with baking at home is steaming. Dutch ovens are heavy, and ovens are leaky! It took me a long time to settle on what works best for my oven here. It sounds like you’ve got a good method now.
I’ve used Maine Grains and their flour is wonderful—it’s just very far from me 🙂 You’re lucky!
Wishing you the best and happy baking.
If you ever have time to attend their kneading conference in late July let me know. Would love to meet.
Will do, I’d love to go!
I’m in the bulk fermentation phase and just realized I need an 11″ oval proofing basket, which I do not have. I have a 9″ basket and a 10″ basket. Cannot go to the store and buy them or I would. Any suggestions?
Hi Karen. I just made this recipe over the weekend. I used 12 1/2″ baskets which were way larger than necessary. Just a guess, but I think 10″ will be a little crowded but should still work.
Oh, and for 9″ you may have to chop off some dough.
How long was your bulk fermentation? My kitchen was 74º. My dough was puffy but I’m not too sure how much of a rise I actually got from it. It was a nice dough to work with and shape. I ended up with 12″ bannetons which I was able to pick up at Target, but I think I could have used my 9″ banneton. My dough weighed 1802 g before dividing.
I typically bulk ferment for far longer than Maurizio does for the recipes of his I have tried; this time it was around 5 hours at 80 degrees (I put it in the oven and leave the light on until the target temp is reached). The difference may be a function of altitude (I am at sea level and he is 1 mile up), but I don’t really know. I have been baking long enough that I go mainly by feel, but it’s hard to describe in a useful way. In terms of the increase in volume in the rising bucket, I would say it nearly doubles, but not quite.
Yup, you’re right, Ron. Higher altitude usually means “faster” fermentation. But there’s also so many factors that play into this, most importantly, the vigor of your starter and levain, and when they’re used. That’s why I always say to adjust the time based on how the dough is looking that day in the kitchen! Sounds like you already do this 🙂
Yeah, 18 years of trial and error. When I started, there weren’t as many resources on how to do things, so I learned a lot on my own. For your baguettes I can bulk ferment for 7 hours easily.
That’s so true for me too, though I started baking around 11-12 yrs ago.
You are a LOT more methodical than I have been, which I appreciate greatly.
OK, I just Googled this, and I see that the lower atmospheric pressure at high altitudes allows faster bulk fermentation, so that’s the difference.
This reminds me that hydration has to be greater at high altitudes also. I used his pizza recipe and my dough was glop; will have to dial the water back next time.
I’m making this for the first time as I type. I live in Cuenca, EC with an altitude of about at about 8300ft. Using Semolina flour. Kitchen temp is only 68 so everything that requires warmth is in the oven with the light on. So by how the dough was coming together I totally omitted the water 2 in the mix, I’m sure it would have been a gloppy mess otherwise. I had to knead longer for it to come together enough to do stretch and slap which was pretty hilarious in my kitchen. To bad I didn’t have a video, bits of dough all over the place. We’ll see how it goes.
Interesting! We have a family cabin in Colorado at almost exactly that elevation. EVERYTHING cooks differently there. I would be interested in how your loaves turn out.
I’ll let you know
The dough *might* fit in a 9″ basket. When you divide the dough, just leave some out. In other words, I’d shoot for maybe 800-850g pieces for those baskets!
I did find 12” rectangular baskets which I used. Unfortunately, my dough was seriously under proofed when I baked it this morning. I followed your recipe and timeline exactly, but felt when I shaped it that I should have let it bulk ferment longer. My kitchen was 73 degrees. Should the dough double during bulk fermentation?
At 73F the dough will definitely take longer to bulk ferment (assuming dough was at that temp, too). I would expect maybe a 5 hour bulk!
Same experience here on the California Central Coast. 6 hours and the dough only rose about 10%. But it baked up great with fine oven spring.
You won’t see quite as much rise with this dough!
In my experience, if you are at sea level it is going to take 5-6 hours at 78-80 degrees to get a good bulk fermentation for this recipe. That is what I did and my bread came out as pictured above. If you Google “doubling” and dough you will find many opinions about what that means. It varies a lot depending upon the flours you are using and other factors. Fortunately, I don’t think you can over-proof this dough, although if it gets too gassy it may be a little more difficult to shape.
I want to try this bread using my own freshly milled durham wheat. Any tips for success. Mainly want to know if sifting is a better way to go?
I think that’s a fantastic idea, Joe! I would honestly try it with the flour as-is without sifting. If you can ask your miller, see if they recommend it for bread-making. I bet it will be incredible!
Maurizio I’m excited to see this recipe because I have a big bag of fancy durham flour and I haven’t had success with other recipes. I’m going to make this recipe tomorrow. Question though – I love sesame seeds but don’t want to put them on the outside of the bread because they mostly fall off when I take a bite, and they make a mess everywhere. Do you see a down side to mixing some into the dough?
Awesome, Mary! You can add them to the dough, but I’d recommend soaking them overnight in some of the mixing water. Just be sure you account for that water (i.e., take some of the mixing water from the recipe and use it to soak the seeds, then do not add that amount to the dough). Let me know how it goes!
WELL I’m reporting back a partial success! I wrote you so late in the day that I didn’t read your response until the next morning – too late to soak the seeds overnight. So I decided the batch would be an experimental one. I threw about 1.5 -2 Tbs seeds into the autolyse. They are a little bitter in the finished bread. Which isn’t really a problem when I use the bread for sandwiches. Thanks for the advice, I will make this recipe again.
Awesome, Mary! Thanks for the update and enjoy 🙂
Ciao Maurizio, grazie for another fantastic recipe! If you omit the sesame seeds this is what in Puglia they call “pane di Altamura”, my husband has been begging me to make it and now I have no excuses 😀 Quick question: would King Arhtur’s semolina flour work for this? The description says “coarse grind of durum wheat”, so it seems like the same thing? Thanks so much !!
Never mind my question, sorry, I found the extra fancy kind from the Caputo brand. Thanks again!
You’re very welcome, Let. me know how this bread turns out, Elena!
Hi Maurizio This beautiful bread looks very much like the real thing!
I am Italian, half sicilian, and my sicilian granny lived next to a bakery that used to fill the alley with the amazing smell of sicilian bread and Reginelle biscuits. I used to spend part of my summer holidays in her small town in the Madonie mountains, and this smell is still a very vivid sensation in my memory. I have tried several kinds of durum wheat to reproduce the special flavor that I remember from my childhood, and I find that the type of durum wheat that gives the closest result is Timilia, also known under the name of Tumminia. It’s basically an enhanced, nuttier, sweeter, more intense variety that really gives amazing results for both your palate and your nose to enjoy. The difference even with a very good Italian durum wheat is remarkable, I hope you have a chance to find and try it.
Thanks for all the bread wisdom, I have been following you for years and I owe you a lot!
Thanks, Isabella! I remember having reginelle, I need to try to make those 🙂 Great suggestions there, I’ve used Molino durum in the past, and it was excellent, I’ll see if I can track down some proper Italian durum and give this recipe a try with that—would love to compare!
Thank you for all the comments. If you make this let me know what you think, it’s delicious 🙂
Thanks for the tip! Began trying my hand at bread baking a couple of years ago, but only recently did I come to understand the true importance of flour quality. Over the Christmas season I spent two weeks in Seville, where I met an Italian pizza chef. Everything about his recipe was amazing, but it was the crust that really bowled me over. He was quick to point out that he imports his flour direct from Italy, and that the old varieties are his favorites. Your post brings it into focus. I’m on the hunt.
Would I be able to bake this bread in a Dutch oven?
I unfortunately have a gas oven which vents steam
Yes, absolutely!
Great to know, thanks so much! Looking forward to making this bread
Thank you so much for this recipe Maurizio! I have attempted a 100% semolina loaf after having one at a great Italian place, but mine came out pretty dense and not fluffy/airy like the one I had. I’m going to try your recipe next week, as it seems very straight forward. I’ll let you know how it goes! Thanks again for sharing!
Awesome, Heather, let me know how it goes! Be sure to try and find finely milled durum if you can, that will also help 🙂
Hi Maurizio,
Can this bake using a Challenge Cast iron pan?
Yes, absolutely Mike!
Hi Maurizio, thanks for the recipe. I’m eager to try it out this weekend. Are you sure the bread needs more than 50 minutes at 230 degrees Centigrade? That seems quite long. I would expect the heat to be reduced to some 160 degrees Centigrade after the initial 20 minutes.
You’re welcome, Remek! I baked this at 230C for 20m with steam, then about 35m vented, but definitely check on the dough in the last 10 minutes to see how it’s going—the goal for this bread is not a super dark and mahogany crust, you want more of a lighter, golden color.
Hi Maurizio, this is the bread I have been waiting for! Growing up in an Italian-American area outside of NYC that I long ago moved away from, we called this semolina bread and I have fond memories of this bread. Fantastic, unique taste and aroma with the sesame seed topping, which is my favorite. It probably was not made with sourdough levain but maybe fresh yeast? Anyway, looking forward to following you’re recipe and experiencing semolina bread again!
One question, I do not have any longer bannetons like the one you use here. Is it ok to use an oval banneton that only holds about 750g or better to use a couche for a more cylindrical shape or shape it as a round?
Ciao, Barney! I really love this bread, the flavor is outstanding. I hope you like it, let me know what you think when you make it (and I agree, it was probably made with instant yeast, though, you’ll love the flavor of this with natural leavening).
Yes, you can absolutely use smaller baskets of any shape, though I would scale the dough down a bit to fit them. A couche would be wonderful to use, too!