Altamura, Bari province, Puglia — the Alta Murgia, a flat limestone plateau at 400-500m, grows durum wheat of exceptional quality. DOP status granted in 2003. The bread is mentioned by Horace in 37 BCE as the best bread he had eaten during his travels through Apulia.
Pane di Altamura is the only DOP-protected bread in Italy: a large, high-crust sourdough loaf made exclusively from re-milled semolina (semola rimacinata di grano duro) from the wheat varieties of the Alta Murgia of Puglia, shaped into the 'U' (a cappello del prete — priest's hat) or round (rotondo) form, with a thick, crackling golden crust and a dense, golden-yellow crumb with a pronounced sour flavour from the long sourdough fermentation. It keeps for up to a week without staleness.
The durum crumb is dense, chewy, golden-yellow — with a pronounced nutty sweetness from the semolina and a clean, complex sourness from the long sourdough fermentation. The thick crust has an emphatic crunch and a bitter-caramel depth from the high-heat bake. Horace was right in 37 BCE and nothing has changed.
The DOP specifies the exact wheat varieties (Appulo, Arcangelo, Duilio, Simeto), the milling (re-milled semolina only — no wheat flour), the production area (Altamura and surrounding comuni), and the fermentation (natural sourdough starter, mother yeast, minimum 72-hour total process). The hydration is 65-70% — lower than many sourdoughs, reflecting the semolina's high protein and low water absorption. The dough is shaped into the specific U or round forms and the surface is lightly scored. Baked in wood-fired ovens at 250°C initially, reducing to 220°C for a total bake of 40-50 minutes.
The golden-yellow crumb colour is inherent to the durum semolina — it does not indicate under-baking. The bread should be allowed to cool completely (3-4 hours) before cutting — cutting warm semolina bread produces a gummy crumb that misrepresents the texture. Stale Altamura bread (2-3 days old) is perfect for panzanella and ribollita-style preparations — it absorbs without dissolving.
Using commercial yeast — Altamura is sourdough; yeast-leavened semolina bread is not Altamura. Mixing with wheat flour — DOP specifies 100% re-milled semolina. Not long-fermenting — the 72-hour process includes bulk fermentation and retarding; rushing produces a flat, dense loaf without the characteristic sourness. Baking at domestic oven temperatures — the thick crust requires the initial blast of 250°C heat.
Carol Field, The Italian Baker; Slow Food Editore, Puglia in Cucina