Recipe: Bega Bread Starter

PUGLIESE BREAD WITH JIM from Martha Stuart

A crispy crust and distinctive flavor make the Pugliese loaf one of the most popular breads at New York City’s Sullivan Street Bakery. There, the bread is made with biga, or la mama—a homemade yeast starter made from the whitish coating of natural yeasts found on red cabbage leaves. But this recipe has been adapted for the home baker by substituting instant yeast for the homemade biga, which takes weeks to ferment. To assure a very crispy crust, the bakery’s proprietor, Jim Lahey, bakes the loaves on a mixture of Pugliese-bread crumbs and recommends using a baking stone or covered baking cloche.


PUGLIESE BREAD
Makes 2 loaves

2 pounds (8 cups) unbleached unbromated all-purpose flour
1/4-ounce package instant dry yeast
2 tablespoons salt
Olive oil, for bowl

1. Mix flour, 3 cups water, and yeast together in a large mixing bowl. Knead vigorously on a lightly floured surface; dough should be sticky and wet. After 10 minutes, add salt. Kneed until dough begins to pull away from the working surface and develops a smooth, light sheen, 5 to 7 minutes more.

2. Lightly coat the interior of a large mixing bowl with olive oil; make sure the bowl is at least 3 times larger than the dough. Set dough in bowl, and let rise until it triples in volume, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

3. Heat the oven to 500 with a baking stone or a baking cloche. Meanwhile, divide dough in half, and form two ovals or rounds. Allow to sit on generously floured parchment paper or dish towel. Let dough double in size, about 45 minutes.

4. Invert dough onto heated baking stone or cloche, then score deeply with a razor or a sharp knife, making three slashes, each about 2 inches long. If you have a baking cloche, cover it immediately with the bell. If using a baking stone, you need to add moisture to the oven for at least 20 minutes of the baking process; place a pie pan filled with ice cubes on the floor of the oven to produce steam, and refill with more ice as necessary. Bake dough for 20 minutes.

5. Remove the bell or moisture source, and lower temperature to 425 . Bake until crust is a rich brown, about 25 minutes more.