Pane di Piume

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Pane di Piume - Italian Feather Bread. You'll find a wide range of formulae for this bread and, it seems the only agreement is that it's shaped into long 'baguette-styled' loaves and glazed with egg white. 

What seems to differ in 'recipes' or formulae is the quantity of sugar you can add. This can be a very sweet loaf or one that has less sweetness but still a richness of taste. 

I prefer mine a little less sweet, so please feel free to adapt it if you have a sweeter tooth or like your bread just that little more...well, sweet! 

This is a great lunchtime or party bread. Ideal for al fresco dining. It will freeze, if necessary. 

INGREDIENTS

480 gms strong white bread flour (12.5%+ protein)

20 gms muscovado/brown sugar (or 15 gms white granulated/caster sugar)

7 gms crushed sea salt

60 gms unsalted butter 

60 gms vegetable shortening or lard

360 gms warm water 

5 gms instant active yeast

and for glazing

1 egg white mixed with a little water and stirred to bring together. 

PROCESS

In a large bowl add the flour, salt and sugar. Mix thoroughly. 

Add the butter/lard/shortening and mix well. 

Add the yeast to the water and then add to the dry ingredients, bringing them together into a sticky clump. 

Turn out onto an un-floured board and knead until you have a soft and silky dough. 

Place in a very lightly-oiled bowl, cover and leave in a warm place until it doubles. 

Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead gently for a few seconds to remove the air. 

Weigh the dough.

Now - ideally, you're going to divide the dough into two and shape each portion into a 'baguette' that's essentially 45 cms in length. 

However, if your oven is too narrow - mine is only 40 cm wide - consider one of the following:

a) divide the dough into three and make each one a little shorter than the width of your oven, 

or, 

b) make each portion a little 'fatter' and 'rounder' but still the right length/width for your oven. 

I prefer to cut my dough into two. The bread is a little 'fatter' but I find that more useful than a thin baguette - especially for this lovely soft and airy dough. 

But, as usual with generic dough....it's all in the shaping and it's what suits you best. 

Place the baguettes, seam side down, onto parchment paper or onto a baking sheet, cover them with a kitchen towel and leave them at room temperature until they have doubled in size. 

Preheat the oven to 215⁰C. 

Slash the 'baguettes' down the length of the bread with a sharp knife. 

Brush with the egg white and water mixture and then bake for 20 - 25 minutes until golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. 

Cool on a rack

. 

Happy Baking..