No Knead Durum Stirato - Italian Baguettes

This no knead durum stirato (an Italian ciabatta-style baguette made with a high hydration dough) is a fun and easy bread to make... and the flavor is amazing. 

This bread is a take on stirato baguettes, but with added durum flour. 

Durum flour is a very high protein wheat that is mostly used for pasta. It's yellow in color, and has a wonderful nutty flavor. 

There is also semolina flour, which is from the same wheat, but more coarsely ground. While durum is a "hard" wheat and higher in protein, it is not particulary strong (in developing the gluten structure to hold air), so it requires handling with care when making bread. 

I was was inspired by my friend David, who, after seeing my post about Stirato, decided to bake the bread with 100% durum flour. His bread was beautiful, however, I wasn't that brave.

For these loaves, I used half bread flour and half durum flour. Instead of just stretching out the dough (stirato means stretched or pulled in Italian) prior to baking it, I also twisted the dough as I stretched it out. 

Ingredients:

The ingredient list is pretty simple. All you need is bread flour, durum flour, salt, yeast, and water. 

Try not to confuse semolina flour and durum flour. While they are from the same wheat, durum (or sometimes semola) is more finely ground. I usually buy durum flour from King Arthur Baking because they sell it in smaller quantities. You can also find it from other sources online in various quantities. I haven't been able to find it in stores. 

More bread using durum:

Italian Style Durum Wheat Bread

Semolina Rounds

Semolina Sourdough

Semolina Rolls with Apricots and Sage

How to make this Durum Stirato:

First, mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl or dough rising bucket and cover with plastic wrap. Allow it to rise at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours. 

Next, gently nudge the dough out onto a floured surface and stretch it into a rectangle. Gently fold the dough over itself like an envelope and then cut it in half, widthwise. Let it rise on a generously floured sheet of parchment. 

When you are ready to bake, grab the dough pieces at either end and stretch them and give them a little twist and place them back onto the parchment. 

I baked the two loaves on a pizza stone covered for the first half by an upside down foil roasting pan to create steam. If you don't have pan to put over the loaves while they bake, place a pan under the pizza stone or baking sheet and fill it with about one cup of boiling water to create steam when you first place the loaves in the oven.

This bread is amazing. You can slice it crosswize, lengthwise for sandwiches, or just cut off a tiny slice and butter it. Each loaf is about 10 or 11 ounces. You can use it for toast, sandwiches, or just bread with dinner. It also makes great crostini. 

You can also just twist the loaf before baking without giving much of a it a stretch, resulting in a fatter loaf for larger slices. 

This method is also great for combining bread flour and whole wheat flour. 

This recipe was originally posted in August, 2014, and updated July, 2022 with new photos, information, ad updated recipe card. 

Recipe inspired by My Bread by Jim Lahey. 

No Knead Durum Stirato Bread

Yield: 16

Author: Karen's Kitchen Stories

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 30 MinInactive time: 12 HourTotal time: 12 H & 45 M

This no knead durum stirato (an Italian ciabatta-style baguette made with a high hydration dough) is a fun and easy bread to make... and the flavor is amazing.

Ingredients

• 200 g bread flour
• 200 g durum flour
• 8 g salt
• 1 g (1/4 tsp) instant yeast
• 300 g cool water

Instructions

1. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Add the water and mix with a large spoon or dough whisk until just combined. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise at room temperature for about 12 to 18 hours, until doubled.
3. Scrape the dough out onto a heavily floured surface.
4. Gently nudge the dough into the shape of a rectangle and then fold it over itself from each long side as if you were creating an envelope. With your hands, gently roll the dough out into a tube and then cut the dough in half, width-wise.
5. Place the dough pieces, seam side down, on a well-floured sheet pan sized piece of parchment and cover with oiled plastic wrap.
6. Place a baking stone on the center rack of your oven and place whatever cover you will be using on top of it or set up your oven for steam. I used an upside down roasting pan about the size of the baking stone. If you dont have a baking stone, you can use a baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.
7. When the dough has about doubled (30-45 minutes), pick up each piece, twist it, and stretch it out to about 11 to 13 inches. In this case,
8. Remove the hot cover from the stone, and, using a peel or the back of a baking sheet. drag the parchment with the dough onto the stone and place the hot cover/s over the loaves.
9. Bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 10 to 20 minutes, until a golden brown.
10. Cool on a wire rack.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

87.7

Fat (grams)

0.53

Sat. Fat (grams)

0.09

Carbs (grams)

17.99

Fiber (grams)

0.32

Net carbs

17.67

Sugar (grams)

0.04

Protein (grams)

3.23

Sodium (milligrams)

195.26

Cholesterol (grams)

0

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2014/08/no-knead-durum-stirato-italian-baguettes.html

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