I’m a girl who loves her bread and gravy. I had a bunch of durum flour left over from a recent roti adventure and wasn’t sure how to use it. This is an adaptation of my regular crusty bread. This has just enough flavor that it can stand on its own with a little butter, but not so much that it overpowers whatever you’re serving it with.
Print
Bake a rustic, artisinal loaf of crusty durum wheat bread that can be used for sandwiches or served with soup, pasta, or an entree.
2 cups Durum Atta flour (not semolina for pasta),
1 cup White bread flour,
1 1/2 tsp Salt,
1/4 tsp Instant Yeast,
1 1/2 cup Water
1 Tbs Cane Syrup or Honey,
1 Tbs Olive Oil,
Mix the two flours, salt and yeast in a bowl. In a separate container measure out the water then add the malt and stir until combined. Add the olive oil and pour it all into the flour mixture. The mixture may seem too dry but don’t add more water. This is what I like to call a “shaggy” dough. The Durum flour takes a bit longer to absorb the water so cover for 10 minutes after mixing then mix again, briefly.
Place the dough in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap for at least 8 hours; 12 hours is best.
On a well floured surface, flatten dough and fold into three then in half. Cover with plastic or a towel and let rest for 15 minutes.
At least 30 minutes before baking, heat a large clay pot or cast iron pot, including lid, in the oven at 500 degrees. Once preheated, reduce the heat to 450 degrees.
Quickly remove the lid, invert the loaf onto a piece of parchment, then place in the pot replace lid and bake for 30 minutes covered. After 30 minutes with the lid on, remove lid and bake for another 30 minutes uncovered.
Cool at room temperature on a rack.
For a lighter bread, use 2 cups white flour to 1 cup wheat flour. Also use 1 cup of sourdough starter in place of yeast, and reduce flour by 1/2 cup and water by 3/4 cup.
Get updates, new menus & more!
New Orleans by Mouth, a weekly look at dining and restaurants around New Orleans from food news to chef interviews with Langlois chef/owner Amy Sins. Launched in December 2014, New Orleans by Mouth is a spin-off of WRBHs previous food series, The Chef Show.
WRBH 88.3 FM is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) radio station serving New Orleans visually-impaired community. Learn more about the mission and programming on WRBH 88.3 FM online.
As we say here in New Orleans, “let’s make groceries.” Click on the shopping list below to start ordering from Whole Foods and Amazon.