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1
Refresh the natural sourdough starter 12 hours before mixing. It is ready when it is visibly active — domed, aerated, and fragrant with a mild lactic acidity.
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2
Combine the semolina rimacinata with 580 ml of the water and the active starter. Mix until a shaggy mass forms; the durum resists absorption initially. Add the sea salt dissolved in the remaining 40 ml of water and incorporate fully. The dough will be stiff — hydration is 60–65% by design. The dough is ready when it holds together in a rough, dense mass.
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3
Perform three folds over a period of two hours, at approximately 40-minute intervals. At each fold, the dough becomes progressively smoother and more cohesive. After the final fold, the surface should feel taut and spring back slowly when pressed.
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4
Divide the dough into two equal pieces. Shape each into the cappiello di Puglia form — a round base with a folded-over crest — or the skuanete form. This shaping step is where the bread lives or dies: the tension built into the cappiello form is the structure that will hold the dense crumb and support the crust through a high-temperature bake; slack or poorly sealed shaping will cause the loaf to spread and the crust to crack unevenly.
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5
Place the shaped loaves on a floured surface or linen couche and allow to proof for 1.5 hours at room temperature. The loaves are ready when they have risen perceptibly and the surface, when pressed lightly with a fingertip, shows a slow, partial return — not an immediate spring-back, and not a permanent indentation.
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6
Heat the wood-fired stone oven to 250°C. Load the loaves onto the stone. Introduce steam during the first 15 minutes — by closing the oven door immediately after loading, or by the wood-fired oven's own retained moisture — to allow the crust to remain extensible while the crumb sets. After 15 minutes the surface should be set and beginning to colour.
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7
Continue baking for a total of 45–50 minutes. The crust must reach a deeply golden colour throughout, with no pale patches. To confirm the crust is fully set, remove the loaf and knock the bottom firmly: it should sound hollow and resonant. A dull thud indicates the interior is not yet dry. Return to the oven if necessary.
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8
Transfer the loaves to a wire rack and cool completely — a minimum of 2 hours — before cutting. Use a serrated knife held at an angle; the shattering crust requires controlled, steady pressure. The bread improves from day two through day four as the crumb continues to set.