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Durum semolina bread with LiCoLi: the recipe

Durum semolina bread with LiCoLi

A high percentage of durum semolina gives this loaf a golden colour that's a pleasure just to look at.

Toast the sesame seeds lightly in the oven at 190°C (375°F) for 5-6 minutes before mixing them into the dough; they'll add an intense nutty aroma. Since they're an optional ingredient, they can also be left out of the dough entirely.

For a crisp, striking finish, right after shaping press the top of the loaf first onto a damp cloth and then into a tray of raw sesame seeds.

This recipe is freely inspired by, or adapted from, a formula by Master Jeffrey Hamelman.

At a glance

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Ingredients

Quantities for 2 pieces of 680 g, kitchen at 21 °C

Preferment

  • Wheat flour (0, W320)98 g
  • Water123 g
  • LiCoLi20 g

Dough

  • Wheat flour (0, W320)203 g
  • Fine durum semolina (0, W280)466 g
  • Water394 g
  • Salt16 g
  • Sesame seeds39 g

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Method

  1. LiCoLi: make it and let it ferment (at room temperature) (14 hours)
    • Weigh the ingredients
    • Use water at 30 °C
    • Mix the flour, water and starter until you get a smooth batter
    • Transfer to a container, covered but not airtight
  2. Weigh the ingredients and knead (25 min)
    • Use water at 23 °C
    Toast the sesame seeds lightly for 5-6 minutes at 190 °C, then mix them into the dough. Durum flour, despite its high protein content, tends to break down if overmixed: The dough comes together faster than an all-white-flour dough, but has very little tolerance for overmixing — if the surface starts to look shiny, as though it's releasing water, you're in the danger zone: Turn off the mixer at once. Adjust the hydration as needed, keeping the dough slightly drier than usual.
  3. End of mixing, start of bulk rise (at room temperature) (2 hours)
  4. Reinforcement fold 1 of 1
  5. Divide/shape: weigh and form the pieces (5 min)
  6. Start of proofing (at room temperature) (2 hours)
    About 2h at 24 °C. Alternatively, retard in the fridge: Up to 8 hours at 10 °C, or up to 18 hours at 4-5 °C.
  7. Ready to cook

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Baking

    • conventional oven, with steam
    • Overall temperature: 240 °C
    • Time: 38 minutes
    • Normal steam

The calculator adapts baking times to the weight of your pieces. Open the calculator

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