BBA # 28 Pugliese Bread

This bread is 50% semolina flour,the recommended fancy durham semolina I didn't have, or could find locally, used regular semolina flour and it was fine.I particularly love semolina breads, golden yellow crumb with a distinct flavor that elevates the bread to another class of deliciousness.Once again a biga is used as the preferment and a very high hydration 85%. I did not use the 1/4 cup of mashed potato. The dough was not as difficult to handle as I thought, part due being more comfortable with wet dough and partly due to using slightly less water, only 7 1/2 oz as compared to the total of 8-9 oz. i will venture to use all the water next bake to compare results.The biga is warmed for an hour , then half semolina and half bread flour is added to the mixing bowl along with yeast and salt.At this point I found it easier to add the water to the flour/yeast mix and hydrate by hand using the mixer paddle before adding the biga, all came together "without throwing flour all over the place".  The dough did require teaspoons of water added during kneading to get that stuck to the bottom hydration although the total was 7 1/2 oz .I prefer to hold back some water then add, as my kitchen here in NC is humid even with ac. In all this was an easier recipe then it seemed, the 30 minute rest between the stretch and folds did drag out the process some, but there's always other chores to keep me occupied, such as assembling the eggplant parm I made!
Let's make some bread!!..........

biga warmed and ready to use

bread flour and semolina, salt ,yeast

after mixing with the water ,added the biga pieces

dough has come together and has cleared the sides but sticking to the bottom

dough looks wet

patted into a rectangle on the floured  table

did the first stretch and fold, I did not add more flour as recipe indicates. When I did that making the ciabatta, there were layers of flour in the finished bread. This time just stretched and folded, light spray of oil and covered

after 30 minutes another stretch and fold,  covered  with plastic and let rest 30 minutes

final stretch and fold

placed in an oiled bowl. rose 2 hours

cut in half by eye, rather uneven

found it easier to literally gather up the dough with my finger tips to create a boule ,then to lift it and try to pull it down  to make the boule

let them rest a few minutes while i prepared the bowls

i am using two wicker planter baskets lined with flour dusted muslin, boules are seam side up

an hour and half later ready to bake, oven at 500 ,stone on rack in lower 3rd of oven,steam pan in oven

gently turned out onto semolina coated peel, scored tops and placed on stone,added 1 cup hot water,30 seconds later sprayed oven walls and floor with water, done twice more at 30 second intervals

hot from the oven, looks good

cooled ,sliced, golden yellow airy crumb ,smells wonderful and tastes awesomely great!