Bocca Pratese

I have had no time for the blog and everything involved with it in the recent weeks! All that is going on now with the virus had already run its course with me. As things stand, my family is still healthy as are my colleagues that are busy baking. 

Since everything has slowly adapted to the current situation (some more than others), I hope to find more time for my blog in the next few weeks – at least the first sourdoughs and pre-doughs for the new blog recipes are already ripening again.

Before that, I have a bread that has been baked for a long time – the “Bocca Pratese”, also known as the “Pane di Prato”, an unsalted Italian bread that is popular in Tuscany. To vary the unmistakable taste, I allowed myself to add a small amount of salt.

Recipe

Total Recipe

400gWheat flour Type 700 / 55050%
400gDurum wheat flour50%
600gWater75%
9gSalt1,1%
20gStarter2,5%

Wheat Sourdough

200gWheat flour Type 700/550100%
200gWater 35 – 40°C100%
20gStarter10%
  • Completely dissolve the starter in water
  • Stir in wheat flour until lump-free
  • Then let it mature for 10-12 hours
  • Target sourdough temperature of 26-27°C

Main dough

420gMature wheat sourdough100%
200gWheat flour Type 700 / 55033,3%
400gDurum wheat flour66,6%
400gWater 15°C66,6%
9gSalt1,1%

Production

  • Mix the water with the durum wheat flour and the wheat flour, cover and let autolyze for 60-120 minutes. 
  • After the autolyze add the salt and mature sourdough and mix for 8 minutes on slow speed. Then knead on fast for 1-2 minutes. If the dough appears too firm, water can be added. 
  • After working up the dough place it in an oiled dough tub. 
  • Fold after 60 and 120 minutes.
  • Now the dough should rise until it has increased in volume by 30-35% (approx. 90-120 minutes).
  • Turn out the dough mass onto a floured work surface and divide the dough down the middle. After dividing, fold all four sides into the middle with light tension then place seam-side down on the work surface to rest. 
  • After a short relaxation phase of 20 minutes the dough can be worked up. To do so, turn the dough oven (seam-side up), fold the right and left sides to the middle and then roll it up with tension. 
  • See here for a video of the work up: https://www.instagram.com/p/B9Q49oHpVsu/
  • Place in a floured proofing basket with the seam-side down and allow to ferment for 12-24 hours at 5-6°C.
  • Slip the dough into an oven preheated to 245°C with strong steam. Reduce the baking temperature to 200°C after 5 minutes and bake another 35.
  • If you bake your bread in a pot, do so at a constant temperature of 250°C / 30-35 minutes.