Friselle

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 15 g fresh yeast, alternatively 1 packet of dry yeast
• 500 g durum wheat flour
• 250 ml water, lukewarm
• 1 pinch of salt

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Rest time approx. 2 hours 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 20 minutes; Total time approx. 4 hours 30 minutes

durable double-baked bread slices

Crumble the fresh yeast into a small bowl and dissolve it in 2 tablespoons of lukewarm water. Combine the flour and salt in a larger bowl, make a well in the center of the flour, and pour in the dissolved yeast. Knead all ingredients into a dough, adding lukewarm water a little at a time. The dough should be dry enough to stop sticking (or as my Nonna said: The dough should be as soft as your belly). Add more water or flour if needed. Form a ball of dough, place it in the bowl, and cover with a kitchen towel. Let it rise in a warm place for about 90 minutes. Divide the dough into six pieces and roll each piece into a rope about 25 cm long. Shape each rope into a circle and tie the ends together to form a dough ring or swirl. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, place the dough rings on it, cover with a towel, and let it rise in a warm place for another hour. Bake the friselle in a preheated oven at 175°C (top/bottom heat) for about 20 minutes; the dough rings should not be browned yet. Allow the friselle to cool slightly on a wire rack, then cut in half horizontally. To slice them easily, they should not be completely cool. Place the friselle back on the baking sheet with the cut side facing up. Bake at 160°C (top/bottom heat) for about 30 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 140°C and bake for another 30 minutes, until golden brown. Lighter or darker, depending on your preference. Tip: Friselle are great to make in advance. They are best stored in a cookie tin or glass container.