Recipe: La Cialetta, the tasty bread of Cleto

Process

Refresh the sourdough starter on the morning itself or the afternoon before, depending on when you plan to knead the dough. Keep in mind that with sourdough, rising times are longer: it takes 7–8 hours, or even longer. If, on the other hand, you use brewer’s yeast, about 2 hours will suffice.

Prepare the dough in a large bowl: combine the sifted flour, sourdough starter, honey, oil, and lukewarm water, mixing all the ingredients well. Add the salt only at the end. Knead for about 15 minutes, adjusting the amount of water if necessary: the dough should be well hydrated and elastic. Form a ball and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in volume.

Once risen, divide the dough into two parts and form two round loaves. Leave them to rise again. When they are well risen, place them on a baking tray and, with your fingers, make a hole in the center, as if you wanted to give them the shape of a doughnut. If you like, you can make a few light cuts on the surface.

Preheat the oven to 240°C for about 10 minutes. Place a small pot of boiling water in the oven to create steam, then bake the bread. After 10 minutes, remove the pot. Continue baking at 220°C for 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 200°C for another 10 minutes and finally to 180°C until a golden brown crust is obtained. The total cooking time will be approximately 45–50 minutes.

Remove the bread from the oven and, while still hot, cut it in half. Stuff it with chopped garlic or simply rub a clove of garlic cut in half over the surface, then add crumbled oregano and extra virgin olive oil to taste.

Reassemble the bread, cover it with a napkin so that it absorbs the aromas and seasonings. Cut it into pieces before serving.

We recommend enjoying it with salami, the typical Calabrian soppressata, pecorino cheese and a good glass of homemade red wine.

Enjoy your meal!