Pane Rustico (or Rustic Bread) Recipe from Italy

Instructions

1. Warm a small portion of the water/milk to no more than 40°C (100°F). Whisk in the yeast, then allow it to stand for approx. 10 min. to let the yeast start working.
2. Mix in large bowl all of the above ingredients.
3. Now add the bread flour. As the chefs say, the particular quantity is dictated by the other ingredients and will vary depending on the type of flour and the humidity. The chefs prefer to add in a small quantity of spelt flour; a little whole wheat flour would also work.
4. Work the dough together, adding flour as necessary, until you have a smooth elastic dough. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes, the dough should double in size.
5. Cut the dough into equal portions (about 10-12 for the medium batch recipe) and then roll each into a snake. Then, take each of those pieces and roll up into a snail-like spiral form, stretching out as you go. Cut off any excess “tail,” and place it tail-side down on a flattened recycled aluminum take-out containers or similar (prevents burning on the bottom). Let rest again, covered, for about an hour.
6. Bake at 250°C (about 475°F) for approximately 40 min.
7. Let rest covered with a kitchen towel(s) or cloth tablecloth. For optimum results, the chef suggests eating the following day.
8. Enjoy!