Easy Italian Recipes

The 'wholemeal' flour we usually buy is actually a mix of wholemeal and strong white flour, Bread made purely with wholemeal flour would be very heavy, so you may need to experiment with some less common brands by adding a little white flour to balance them. Originally, all bread was wholemeal, but as the Romans starting milling flour and separating the husk from the white part - the endosperm - white bread became a more popular choice for the rich.

200g biga or madre, either wholemeal or white (1/2 quantity of "starter dough" recipe)
500g strong wholemeal flour
2 teaspoons caster sugar or honey 2 teaspoons salt
10g yeast
350ml tepid water
2 tablespoons olive oil

Combine the flour, the sugar, if using, and the salt in a large bowl. Mix the yeast with the tepid water, the biga, the honey if using, and the oil using a plastic dough scraper or your hands. Make a well in the flour and pour in the yeasted water and biga mixture. Knead for 10 minutes, then place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a little more oil and then clingfilm or a tea-towel, and leave until doubled in size, about 45-60 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and cut into even-sized pieces, depending on whether you are making a large loaf or six rolls. Shape into the required shapes following the "Roll Shaping" masterclass and leave to rise until doubled in size once more. Bake the loaf for 30-40 minutes, the rolls for about 15 minutes. 

This bread is made mainly in the south of Italy, where semola flour is frequently used. This flour produces a pale straw-coloured loaf with a slightly crunchy texture. It lasts well. I was shown how to make this bread in Sicily, but also requested the help of my friend Ursula Ferrigno, who was the first person to get me making bread since my school days. Her books and her enthusiasm are a great inspiration.

Makes 4 leaves or 16 small rolls or "Mafalda"
200g biga, you can freeze any leftover biga
375g strong white flour
275g semolina, plus extra for sprinkling over the loaves
15g salt
10g fresh yeast
400ml tepid water
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Mix the flour, semolina salt and pepper together in a large mixing bowl. Put the yeast into the tepid water and mix with a small whisk or your fingers. Make a well in the flour and pour in the yeasted water and the biga. Mix together using a dough scraper, turn out the dough and knead for about 10 minutes, or until smooth.

Put the dough into a lightly oiled bowl and leave for 11/2-2 hours, or until doubled in size. Shape the loaves or rolls and put them onto an oiled baking tray. Make a cross with a very sharp knife in the top of each one and leave to prove again until doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7. Sprinkle a little semolina over the top of the bread. Bake the loaves for 30-35 minutes, the rolls for around 15 minutes, or until they feel light and sound hollow when tapped.

Variation: Mafalda
Roll out a long sausage of dough, then fold it in on itself, following the "Roll Shaping" masterclass. Finsh by securing one end over the top before baking.