Pane di Lariano

Name: Pane di Lariano
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: Laziale
Ingredients: 550 g tipo 2 flour; 150 g strong white bread flour; 500 ml tepid water; 140 g Active sourdough starter; 14 g Fine sea salt; 20 g coarse wheat bran

Pane di Lariano is a dark, rustic sourdough bread from Lazio with a thick blistered crust, chewy crumb, and deep toasted grain flavour.

🇮🇹Italy· Lazio

Prep: 40 min
Cook: 50 min
Total: 90 min
Servings: 10
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 210 kcal

Ingredients

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Servings

550 g tipo 2 flour — semi-wholemeal wheat flour
150 g strong white bread flour — high-protein wheat flour
500 ml tepid water — around 24 degrees C
140 g Active sourdough starter — lievito madre, bubbly and fed
14 g Fine sea salt — unrefined
20 g coarse wheat bran — for dusting the proofing basket

Equipment

•Large mixing bowl
•Dutch oven with lid
•Round proofing basket (banneton)
•Baker's lame or razor blade
•Kitchen scale
•Wire cooling rack

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 210 kcal
fat: 1 g
carbs: 42 g
fibre: 4 g
protein: 7 g
calories: 210 kcal

Instructions

1
Whisk the active sourdough starter into the tepid water in a large bowl until thoroughly dispersed and milky.
2
Stir in both flours with a wooden spoon until a shaggy, wet dough forms without dry patches.
3
Cover the bowl with a damp towel and leave to rest for 30 minutes to hydrate.
4
Scatter the fine sea salt over the dough and knead firmly in the bowl for five minutes until elastic.
5
Perform three sets of stretch and folds every 30 minutes, keeping the bowl covered between turns.
6
Leave the dough to ferment at room temperature for three hours until aerated and noticeably risen.
7
Tip the dough onto a lightly floured board, shape into a tight round loaf, and pinch the seam closed.
8
Dust a round proofing basket with wheat bran and place the dough inside, seam-side facing upwards.
9
Cover the basket and place in the refrigerator to proof slowly for 12 to 14 hours overnight.
10
Preheat the oven with a heavy Dutch oven inside to 240 degrees C for at least 45 minutes.
11
Invert the loaf onto baking paper, slash the surface deeply, and lower carefully into the hot Dutch oven.
12
Bake covered for 25 minutes, remove the lid, reduce temperature to 210 degrees C, and bake until dark brown.
13
Transfer the loaf to a wire rack and cool completely for two hours before slicing.

Chef's tips

For the most authentic flavour, bake in a heavy cast-iron pot to replicate the trapped steam of traditional wood-fired ovens. Do not slice into the bread while warm, as the moist crumb needs time to set as it cools.

Ingredient substitutions

Tipo 2 flour → a mixture of 400 g strong bread flour and 150 g stoneground wholemeal flour
active sourdough starter → 7 g active dry yeast dissolved in 50 ml extra water with a pinch of sugar
coarse wheat bran → coarse semolina or wholemeal flour for dusting

Storage

Keep the un-sliced loaf cut-side down on a wooden board or wrapped in a clean linen cloth at room temperature for up to six days.

Reheating

Toast thick slices lightly in a dry pan or warm in an oven at 180 degrees C for five minutes to restore crust crispness.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Cutting into the bread while still hot, which causes the crumb to turn gummy and lose moisture.
•Underbaking the crust, which should be dark chestnut brown rather than pale golden.
•Using cold water, which slows down the wild yeast activity and delays fermentation.

Serving suggestions

Slice thickly and toast over charcoal, rubbed with garlic and drizzled with new olive oil.Serve alongside hearty Roman stews such as coda alla vaccinara or trippa alla romana.Top with thin slices of porchetta di Ariccia and aged pecorino cheese.