Question

I have been making my own bread for many years and I wonder if you can help me? I am always in search of the correct flour to make, what I call, Tuscan Bread - you know, the big, oblong/oval/flatish chewy loaf that has large bubbles in it; the type that goes hard before you've got it back from the bakers ! It is the only bread to use when making bruschetta. A flour merchant I spoke to said the Italians use 'the lowest grade flour' to make this type of bread. He said very little is imported into Britain . I suspect it has a high gluten content. Where can I find this sort of flour - or the right grain to mill ? Do you know?

Answer

This would be true. It would be soft flour and it would have about 10% maize or semolina flour added to it.

The fermentation process would also play a big part of the characteristics of this bread. It would be processed using very low yeast levels and very cool dough temperatures with about 80 hydration and left for at least 20 hours.

We do a low protein cake and pastry which would be the best to try first.

Happy baking

Clive