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Here I am again with another bread recipe from the Simili sisters book!

This bread is typical from the Piemonte region, it doesn’t take long to make it..so you can really prepare it at the last minute!!!!

INGREDIENTS:

500 gr. of type 0 flour

280 gr. of water

20 gr. of fresh yeast

20 gr. of lard

10 gr. of barley malt

8 gr. of salt

Dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup water and allow it to stand for approximately 5-10 minutes. Combine the flour and salt. Place the flour mixture on the work surface and make a well in the centre. Add the dissolved yeast, additional water, barley malt, and lard and mix well. Continue to mix until the dough begins to hold together. Knead the dough to a soft, but not sticky, consistency (8-10 minutes).

Place the dough in a lightly floured bowl. Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes.

Turn the risen dough onto a flour dusted work surface. Divide the dough into two equal portions and then form two loose balls. Working with one piece at the time, gently press the ball into a disk (like a small pizza). Lift up approximately one inch of the far edge of the disk and fold it toward you. Lift the folded edge and roll it up toward you until the dough takes on a cylindrical shape.( it's the same procedure I used to make casereccio bread...see pictures) Turn each cylinder 90 degrees. Using a rolling pin, flatten each cylinder into a long and thin rectangle. Beginning at the edge farthest from you, once again, roll the dough toward you into a cylinder. In this instance use your thumbs as a guide on each side to prevent points from forming. Each portion of dough now resembles a snail. Dust a tea towel with flour. Place a bag of flour under one edge of the towel and place the rolled edge of one portion of dough (seam-side down) against the canvassed flour bag. It looks as if the "snail" were facing you. Lift the canvas at the other edge of the dough to create a fold. Place the second portion of dough against the first, rolled edge to rolled edge. Put a second bag of flour under the canvas at the other edge of the dough to support it. Cover the dough with a cotton towel. Allow it to rise for 30-40 minutes.Transfer the dough from the canvass to the flour dusted work surface. Using a scraper or a sharp knife apply pressure in a downward motion at the centre of each piece of dough, lengthwise and cut one piece in two pieces. Transfer each portion of dough to a sheet of oven baking paper in a baking tray, open side up, and slash through the opening with a blade. Bake the bread in a hot oven at 200º/210º for 25/30 mins.