Pane Casareccio di Genzano · Pane Casareccio di Genzano IGP
Lazio · bread · serves 10 · 900 min total · medium
Genzano, on the lakes south of Rome, was the first bread in Europe to win IGP protection (1997). The thick bran-dusted crust and wide, almost-sour crumb made it the loaf the Castelli Romani sent up to the city by cart at dawn — Rome's daily bread for a century.
Ingredients
- 500 g strong wheat flour (type 0)
- 350 ml warm water
- 100 g active sourdough starter
- 12 g fine sea salt
- 30 g wheat bran for dusting
Method
- Mix flour and water; rest 30 minutes (autolyse).
- Add starter and salt. Knead 8 minutes until elastic.
- Bulk ferment 5 hours with folds every hour.
- Pre-shape into a round, rest 20 min, then shape into a tight ball.
- Place seam-up in a basket lined with a cloth dusted heavily with wheat bran. Refrigerate 8–12 hours.
- Heat oven to 240°C (465°F) with a baking stone and steam (tray of water).
- Turn the loaf out — the entire crust is dusted with bran. Slash a deep cross.
- Bake 20 min at 240°C, then 30–35 min at 210°C (410°F) until almost black. Cool fully — the IGP loaf weighs over 1 kg and is famous for keeping a week.