Lariano-Style Bread | Pane di Lariano

Step 1

Mix the water, starter in a small bowl. Add the flour and the salt.

Step 2

Using your hand, briefly knead the dough in the bowl to incorporate all of the ingredients. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let rise for 24 hours, until tripled.

Step 3

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and the salt. In another bowl, mix together the biga and the water to dissolve the biga. Add this mixture to the flour mixture, and mix with a dough whisk or wooden spoon until the flour is just incorporated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes.

Step 4

Every 30 minutes, stretch-and-fold the dough over itself from all four "sides" until you have done this 6 times (over 3 hours). At this point, the dough is ready to shape.

Step 5

Line a banneton or bowl with a tea towel, and sprinkle it with a mixture of wheat flour and rice flour. Then sprinkle it with wheat bran.

Step 6

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, and shape it into a tight ball. Place the dough, seam side up, into the prepared banneton/bowl, and cover with oiled plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 to 3 hours.

Step 7

Place a Dutch oven into the oven and preheat it to 450 degrees F.

Step 8

Once the dough has doubled in size, remove the Dutch oven from the oven and remove the lid. Place a piece of parchment paper lined plate over the dough, and flip the dough over so that the bowl is upside down. Remove the bowl and the towel. Lift the dough, parchment and all, and place the dough into the hot Dutch oven. Slash the dough in a triangle pattern, cover with the lid, and place the pan in the oven.

Step 9

Bake for 35 minutes with the lid on. Remove the pan from the oven, transfer the loaf to a sheet pan, return it to the oven, and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the loaf reaches an internal temperature of 205 degrees F and the crust is dark brown.

Step 10

Cool the loaf on a wire rack for at least an hour.