#178 crusty white italian loaf

from The Cookbook

this is actually my third time making this bread. it turned out great the first two times - i just couldn’t get a photo of it before j sliced it up and ate a bunch (and to be honest, i contributed to that too). the recipe utilizes several tricks to make it flavorful and and with a nice structure - first a very tight biga (or pre-ferment) is made a day before, and then the dough is cut up with scissors and mixed and kneaded in with more flour and water, salt, and a bit of polenta. malt powder is also added, i think this probably adds flavor and might also make it softer (like a conditioner?). the dough goes through two rounds of stretching and folding, and you can tell by the silky, stretchy dough that a nice amount of gluten is formed. then, that is risen in a bowl and finally baked. it’s less complicated than it sounds, but it is a bit of a weekend project due to timing. the first time i baked it on a sheet as the instructions said, and it was great, but didn’t have a very dark crust on top. the last two times, i baked it in a dutch oven a la NYT no knead bread. with this method it’s a bit stressful getting the dough into the hot dutch oven, but i think it’s worth it for the flakey crust.

to me this actually reminds me a bit of po-boy bread. it has a super flakey crust and a very soft interior. it’s great for sandwiches and toasts of all kinds. when it goes stale i sautee with a little butter and olive oil to make croutons for my favorite caesar salad. i can’t wait to try more of the breads from this chapter of the cookbook.