Biove Bread Recipe

How to make it

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• Starter
• Dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons water and allow it to stand for approximately 5 -10 minutes. Add the unbleached all-purpose flour (2 1/2 cups) and mix until the flour is absorbed. Knead the dough to a firm consistency. Cover the starter and allow it to remain at room temperature for 10 hours or overnight.
• Dough
• Dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup water and allow it to stand for approximately 5-10 minutes. Combine the flour (1 1/4 cup) and the malt (1/4 teaspoon). Place the flour mixture on the work surface (or in a large bowl) and make a well in the center. Add the dissolved yeast, additional water (1/4 cup), and starter to the flour mixture. Mix until the dough begins to hold together. Knead the dough to a soft consistency (approximately 5 minutes).
• Add the lard (4 teaspoons) and salt (2 teaspoons), and continue to knead until the dough is smooth and elastic (approximately 10 minutes).
• Place the dough in a lightly floured bowl. Covert the bowl and allow the dough to rise until it is double its original size (approximately 1 hour).
• Gently turn the risen dough onto a flour dusted work surface. Cut the dough in half with a dough scraper and allow each portion to rest for 10 minutes. Dust a piece of canvas (untreated, 100% cotton), or a proofing board (lumber core plywood) with flour. Gently flatten each portion of dough into a rectangle. Using your thumbs as a guide, begin from one short side, and roll the dough toward you into a fat cylinder. Place the dough on the canvas or board, seam side down. Cover with a cotton towel.
• Allow the dough to rise until it is nearly double (approximately 1 – 1 1/2 hours).
• As the dough is rising, place a baking stone in the oven and set the temperature to 500 F. Allow the oven to heat for 30 minutes.
• Ten minutes before baking turn the dough over. In Italy, a special tool is used to cut Biove. This tool is shaped like a dough scraper and made of wood. A plastic or steel dough scraper or a wooden dowel will have the same effect. Press down and push on each piece of dough lengthwise, opening it and almost cutting through to the bottom. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper. Slide a baker’s peel beneath the parchment paper. Lower the oven temperature to 425 F. Slide the parchment paper from the peel onto the baking stone. Allow the dough to bake until it is a golden color (approximately 30 minutes). After 15 - 20 minutes, check the oven to be certain that the dough is not browning too quickly. If this is the case, cover the loaves with foil.
• Remove the loaves from the oven and allow them to cool