Pane di Semolino di Piana degli Albanesi
Piana degli Albanesi is the name of the city settled half a millennium ago when a band of oppressed Albanesi took flight from the Turks and, with the permission of Giovanni II, the then Spanish viceroy in Sicily, took refuge in the countryside near Palermo. A somewhat unmingled populace, cleaving still to its heritage, they perpetuate, in full dress and with great ebullience, the story of their gastronomy. And yet it is a fornaio, a baker, there who makes one of the finest examples of the traditional bread of Sicily. Heavy, cakelike in its wet, golden crumb, its crust is thick, hard, wood-scorched. And to cradle a hunk of it in one’s hand is to hold a piece of the ages, it seems. Insofar as things like this can be carried from one part of the world to another, here follows his formula.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 1 very large or 2 medium pagnotte
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water, permitting it to activate for 15 minutes. In a medium bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, sea salt, and tepid water and add it all to the rested yeast. Mix the semolina and all-purpose flours together and add them, in three doses, to the yeast mixture, beating well after each addition. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it for a minimum of 10 minutes or until the dough develops a satiny finish.
Step 2
Transfer the dough to a bowl with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, rolling the dough around in the oil, coating it well. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and permit the dough to rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until its size doubles. Punch down the risen dough and knead it again for a minute or two, then let it rest for 15 minutes. These last two steps are to give the high-gluten semolina an extra-vigorous workout.
Step 3
The Sicilians, as you might imagine, exercise their fantasy even unto the shaping of their breads. No form is too intricate. However, the fornaio in Piana degli Albanesi is a tranquil sort of fellow who simply pummeled his good yellow dough into great rounds, painted them with a bit of egg white, and pressed sesame seeds generously over the breads’ surfaces before heaving them into the his wood-fired ovens.
Step 4
Divide the dough in two (or even three pieces, if you’d like) or work with it as a whole. In any case, shape the dough into a round form, using cupped hands to stretch the dough, turning the excess under and forming a taut skin over the bread’s dome. Line metal baking sheets with baker’s parchment and sprinkle the paper lightly with semolina. Position the loaves on the sheets. Paint the foamy egg white over the surface of the breads, coating them well, then gently pressing the seeds overall. Cover the shaped breads with a clean kitchen towel and permit them to rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until their size has doubled.
Step 5
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees, with baking stones, if desired.
Step 6
Just before sliding the loaves onto the stones, sprinkle the stones with semolina or fine cornmeal. Alternatively, place the loaves on the metal baking sheets in the oven. Bake the loaves for 10 minutes, reduce the temperature to 400 degrees, and bake the breads for 20 to 30 minutes more, depending on the size of the loaves. Remove the breads to cooling racks.
Step 7
To help crisp the crust of these breads, place a dozen or so ice cubes in a baking pan on the floor of the oven just before sliding in the breads. This creates a steamy, humid environment for a few minutes, usually long enough to help form a good crust. Or one can choose to directly spray the breads—using a plant mister filled with ice water. Three or four good mists, three times during the first 8 minutes of baking, is the formula.
