Pagnotta, Crusty Italian Semolina Bread

Pagnotta is a traditional Pugliese bread loaf typical of Puglia but loved and appreciated throughout Italy. It can be made with fancy durum flour, plain flour, or wheat semolina bread flour.

This artisan bread has a deep golden brown color, a lightly floured surface, has a crunchy crust, and a thick and soft inside.

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 50 mins

Total Time 1 hr

Cooking Method: Baking

Cuisine: Europe, Italian

Courses: Bread & Dough

Difficulty: Advanced

Servings: 20

Dietary: Vegan, Vegetarian

Ingredients

500 g fine semolina flour
500 g 00 flour
20 g rock salt
750 ml lukewarm water
1 tsp dried yeast

Instructions

1
Place both types of the flour and the yeast into the bowl of your stand mixer. Add the salt and the water then beat slowly with your dough hook attached for 10 to 12 minutes. If required, scrape down the sides with a spatula during the mixing time.
The dough is intentionally highly hydrated. Mix until it becomes cohesive and elastic rather than trying to make it feel like a firm conventional bread dough.
2
Remove the hook and cover the bowl with a clean damp tea towel leaving it to proof in a draught free zone overnight, this requires at least 16 hours.
For an overnight 16-hour fermentation, keep the dough in a suitably cool environment; if your kitchen is warm, refrigerating the dough gives more controlled fermentation and reduces the risk of over-proofing.
3
The following day the dough shall still be wet, don't be tempted to add extra flour to make it workable, what you have should suffice if you flour your hands and flour the working surface.
4
Work the dough into a round and carefully lift it into a pre-floured metal bowl. Cover this bowl with a clean damp tea towel and leave to proof, again, in a draught free, relatively warm spot for 3 hours or long enough to see the dough amost doubled in size.
Use the visible rise rather than three hours as the main guide. Fermentation speed changes substantially with room and dough temperature.
5
Place a large Dutch oven, heavy lidded casserole pot or similar in the oven then preheat to the hottest you can, circa 240°C to 275°C.
Check that your pot, lid and handles are rated for the temperature you choose. At these temperatures every part of the preheated vessel will cause an immediate burn if touched unprotected.
6
Dust a sheet of parchment paper with semolina flour and sprinkle the top of the dough liberally with more semolina flour, slash the top of the of the dough with a sharp knife to assist with swelling and expanding during cooking.
7
Carefully lift the paper and dough into the hot pot, 4 hands are better than 2 here. Cover and return to the oven for 20 minutes.
Keep hands and forearms clear of the preheated pot and use proper oven gloves. If another person helps, agree the movement before lifting so neither person reaches across the hot vessel.
8
Remove the lid and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes or until the bread is risen and golden. As with all home baked bread the base should sound hollow when tapped.
Use colour and structure as well as the hollow-base check; a deeply golden crust and firm loaf are more reliable than elapsed time alone.
9
Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely prior to slicing.
Cooling completely allows the crumb to finish setting. Cutting while very hot can compress the interior and make it seem gummy even when properly baked.

Nutrition Facts

Servings 20

Amount Per Serving
Calories 168.34kcal

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 0.58g1%
Saturated Fat 0.06g1%
Sodium 1.10mg1%
Potassium 85.00mg3%
Total Carbohydrate 37.38g13%
Dietary Fiber 1.27g6%
Sugars 0.57g
Protein 5.47g11%

Calcium 9.75 mg
Iron 0.50 mg

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.