Tuscan bread...Pane Toscano

Ciao fellow foodies, get your arms ready we are making bread, the mama Italiana way. Yes we live in an age of purchasing fresh pane from our local panificio bakery but where's the fun or should I say challenge in that! Once you get over the sore arms and place that bundle of work into your ready hot oven, just wait... For the aroma of freshly baked bread...delizioso! Godere ...

3 1/2 cups of bread flour

Plus extra for dusting

7g dried yeast

2tblespn olive oil

1 1/3 cups lukewarm water 

Mix flour, yeast & salt together in a large bowl. 

Make a well in a centre.

Gradually mix the liquid into the farina flour mixture with a round bladed knife. Gather the mixture together with your hands to form a soft dough. 

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Now start kneading! Impastare for 5-7 minutes or until the dough becomes very smooth and elastic. 

Return the dough to a greased bowl and cover with cling wrap, then leave to resto in a warm area of your cucina for about an 1 hour! It should double in size roughly. 

Turn out and gently impastare again for 1 minute or until smooth. 

Preheat the forno to 200 c/400 f. Oil a sheet of baking paper. Shape the dough into an oval shape and transfer onto the prepared paper. Cover with a clean tea towel or oiled cling wrap and leave to rise for 30 minutes. 

Make several slashes in the top of the bread with a sharp knife. Bake in the preheated forno for 30-35 minutes. 

To test the pane is cooked. Turn it overand tap it on the base. If it sounds hollow, it's cotto cooked! 

Leave to cool on a wire rack and godere...

MamaG xx