Altamura Bread

Method

1. Dissolve the fresh yeast in the water.
2. Add the durum wheat semolina flour little by little and start mixing (by hand or with a planetary mixer).
3. Once a smooth dough forms, add the salt and continue mixing until fully absorbed.
4. Cover the dough and let it rest in a turned-off oven for 3 hours (first rise).
5. After the rise, the dough will be sticky. Fold it over itself repeatedly to reduce volume and compact it (punch down and shape briefly).
6. Sprinkle the work surface with durum wheat semolina, then shape the dough into a round or elongated loaf.
7. Place the loaf on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, dust the top with more semolina, and make shallow cuts (scoring) with a knife.
8. Let the shaped loaf rise again for 1 to 1.5 hours (second rise).
9. (Optional) Brush or sprinkle sesame seeds on top before baking.
10. Preheat the oven to 220°C (430°F). Bake the bread for 10 minutes at 220°C, then lower the temperature to 200°C (390°F) and bake for another 25 minutes.
11. Remove the bread from the oven and place it on a wire rack set over the baking tray to cool, allowing steam to escape and keeping the bottom crisp.