The Tuscans are famous for their unsalted bread, which lasts very well and even when stale can be used in a variety of classic dishes such as panzanella, ribollita and pappa al pomodoro. This recipe for Tuscan Saltless Bread comes from Maxine Clark’s Italian Kitchen (© pub Ryland Peters and Small, £19.99) and appears here with permission. In the book, Maxine Clark explains that salt used to be taxed, so was not added to a ‘daily necessity’ like bread, but was kept for preserving meat, vegetables and fish.
Biga for Italian Baking
This recipe uses a biga as a starter, to give the bread a more genuine, slightly sourdough taste. Biga is used in Italian baking both in the home and in many bakeries. As Maxine Clark explains in Italian Kitchen, it adds complexity to the bread’s flavour and is used in breads which need a light, open texture like ciabatta. Biga is generally made fresh every day, unlike a sourdough starter, and is allowed to ferment for up to 24 hours to develop fully.
Warm the Flour
You will see that this recipe for Tuscan bread uses warmed flour, as this speeds up the reaction of the yeast. You can do this in a microwave oven. Put the flour in a non-metallic bowl and cook on High for 20 seconds. Remove from the oven and fluff up the flour with your fingers – it should feel warm; if not return it to the oven for another 10 seconds or so. Use before it cools, but be warned, if it is too hot it may kill the yeast.
Tuscan Saltless Bread - Recipe
Pano Toscano
Ingredients – Makes one 600g loaf
- 1 portion Biga (see below)
- About 200ml warm water
- 400g plain unbleached flour, warmed, plus extra for kneading and shaping
Ingredients for the Biga
- 150 ml warm water
- 1 level teaspoon active dry yeast
- 115g plain unbleached flour, warmed
Method
To Make the Biga
- Pour the warm water into a medium bowl and whisk in the yeast, whisking until dissolved, then gradually whisk in all the flour to form a smooth loose batter. Pour into a plastic container and snap on the lid.
- Leave in a warm place for a minimum of 9 hours and up to 24 hours, after which time it should be alive and slightly frothy/bubbly and smell fantastically yeasty. If the weather is very warm, it may rise then collapse on itself again – don’t worry, it will still work.
- Freeze in 200ml portions or keep in the refrigerator in a plastic container for up to 2 weeks.
To Make the Tuscan Bread
- Transfer the biga to a large bowl and whisk in the warm water. Now mix in the flour gradually until you have a pliable, firm dough (err on the soft side rather than have it too firm). Gather it together in the bowl, making sure all the flour is kneaded in.
- Lift out onto a clean floured work surface and knead for 10 minutes. The dough will be a bit stickier than normal, so keep flouring your hands and not the table or dough – you don’t want to change the proportions.
- When the dough begins to become very elastic, it is ready to shape. With one hand, pull the outside edge towards the middle, turning the dough as you go round to form a ball. Flip this over again onto a floured baking tray so that the rough side is uppermost. Slash along the middle with a very sharp knife. Cover with a large upturned bowl and leave to rise until almost doubled – about 1½ hours.
- Place a roasting tin of hot water on the base of the oven and preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) Gas 6. Bake the loaf for 35-40 minutes until it sounds hollow when tapped on the underside. Cool on a wire rack. This will freeze for up to 3 months.
Try these recipes for Saffron Risotto, and Panna cotta, also from Italian Kitchen
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