I was invited to join the Bread Baking Babes a while back and I had the best of intentions of jumping right in and baking up a storm. In February for the BBB 3rd Anniversary, the Babes were to pick a favorite bread that they had baked over the last three years and bake that bread again.
They had baked so many fabulous breads it was hard for me to pick just one, but the Coccodrillo bread won out when Natashya, Living In the Kitchen with Puppies, declared it her son’s all time favorite bread. Since Natashya is a fabulous bread maker, I knew this bread was something special.
I bought all the ingredients, then life got in the way and I didn’t make the bread in time for the roundup. But since I had all the ingredients I made it last week and I’m so glad I did. It’s a fabulous Italian bread with a crisp, chewy exterior and light, moist interior with a slight sour dough flavor.
The bread is made over three days, but it really only takes a few minutes the first two days. It is a super wet dough, so if you haven’t baked with no-knead wet doughs before, be sure and watch the video describing how to shape this dough. Enjoy!
Coccodrillo Bread Recipe
Ingredients
First starter:
- ½ teaspoon active dry yeast or ⅙ small cake 3 grams fresh yeast
- 1 cup warm water
- ¼ cup 35 grams durum flour
- ¾ cup 90 grams unbleached stone-ground flour* (*use strong bread flour -stone ground or not- for a better result)
Second starter:
- 1 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast or ½ small cake 9 grams fresh yeast
- ¼ cup warm water
- 1 ¼ cups water room temperature
- ½ cup 70 grams durum flour
- 1 ½ cups 180 grams unbleached stone-ground flour (use strong bread flour -stone ground or not- for a better result)
Dough
- ¼ cup 35 grams durum flour
- 1 to 1 ¼ cups 120 to 140 grams unbleached stone-ground flour (use strong bread flour -stone ground or not- for a better result)
- 1 ½ teaspoons 10-15 grams salt* (*it says 25 g in the book, but this will get you a very, very salty crocodile)
Instructions
First starter:
- The morning of the first day, stir the yeast into the water; let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
- Add the flours and stir with a wooden spoon about 50 strokes or with the paddle of an electric mixer about 30 seconds.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 12 to 24 hours. The starter should be bubbly.
Second starter:
- The evening of the same day or the next morning, stir the yeast into the warm water; let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
- Add the water, flours and dissolved yeast to the first starter and stir, using a spatula or wooden spoon or the paddle of the electric mixer until smooth.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 12 to 24 hours.
- Dough
- By mixer: The next day, add the durum flour and 1 cup unbleached flour to the starter in a mixer bowl; mix with the paddle on the lowest speed for 17 minutes. Add the salt and mix 3 minutes longer, adding the remaining flour if needed for the dough to come together. You may need to turn the mixer off once or twice to keep it from overheating.
- By hand: If you decide to make this dough by hand, place the starter, durum flour, and 1 cup unbleached flour in a wide mouthed bowl. Stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon for 25 to 30 minutes; then add the salt and remaining flour if needed and stir 5 minutes longer. The dough is very wet and will not be kneaded.
- First Rise: Pour the dough into a Hammarplast bowl or a wide mouthed large bowl placed on an open trivet on legs or on a wok ring so that air can circulate all around it. Loosely drape a towel over the top and let rise at about 70° F, turning the dough over in the bowl every hour, until just about tripled, 4 or 5 hours.
- Shaping and Second Rise: Pour the wet dough onto a generously floured surface. Have a mound of flour nearby to flour your hands, the top of the oozy dough, and the work surface itself. This will all work fine-appearances to the contrary-but be prepared for an unusually wet dough. Make a big round shape of it by just folding and tucking the edges under a bit. Please don't try to shape it precisely; it's a hopeless task and quite unnecessary. Place the dough on well, floured parchment or brown paper placed on a baking sheet or peel. Cover with a dampened towel and let rise until very blistered and full of air bubbles, about 45 minutes. (Here's a video showing how to shape the super wet dough.)
- Baking: Thirty minutes before baking, heat the oven with a baking stone in it to 475° F. Just before baking, cut the dough in half down the center with a dough scraper; a knife would tear the dough. Gently slide the 2 pieces apart and turn so that the cut surfaces face upward. Sprinkle the stone with cornmeal. If you feel brave, slide the paper with the dough on it onto the stone, but the dough can also be baked directly on the baking sheet. When the dough has set, slide the paper out. Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on a rack.
Nutmeg Nanny
This looks great! I love bread but never make it. I gotta get on that!
Cookin' Canuck
That is such a perfect-looking loaf of bread. Great job, Barbara!
FOODESSA
This is a territory I’m still very uncomfortable with. For now, I find myself book marking great potential recipes for that distant day that I’ll take the plunge into bread making.
Barbara, that bread looks like a real success!
Ciao for now,
Claudia
teresa
oh my gosh, this is my kind of bread. i just love the chewiness of it, it looks wonderful. i’ll take the whole basket please 🙂
Bonnie
What a beautiful crumb. I am so behind on baking and cooking lately. I’d like a slice with jam please.
Rocky Mountain Woman
That looks like my kind of bread…lots a holes for butter to seep into or maybe rosemary olive oil!
Love the rustic shape…..
Brian @ A Thought For Food
A beautiful, rustic loaf. All you need with that is a stick of butter and you’re on you way to heaven
Nicole@HeatOvenTo350
Wow, this looks amazing! This is something I have to try. I love making breads, but haven’t ventured into the no-knead dough realm yet.
sweetlife
life has a funny way of changing plans, I am glad you went ahead and posted this..I have never heard of coccodrillo bread..your bread looks amazing, perfect color and shape
sweetlife
faithy
It’s beautiful and i love bread! Give me this anytime of the day and i’ll be happy! 😀
Rosa
A beautiful loaf! I love this bread’s texture.
Cheers,
Rosa
Lien
Fantastic, those look awesome. Good ovenrise too. Congratulations, you tamed the croc!!
kristy
Barbara, the bread looks perfect. Bookmarked this for later use. Thank you very much for sharing. Hope you’re having a fabulous day.
Blessings, Kristy
Gabriella
Questo pane è bellissimo ha proprio l’aspetto del nostro pane italiano….
sono certa che è buonissimo.
Sei stata bravissima Barbara complimenti.
Lauren from Lauren's Latest
Sounds wonderful! I love any kind of carb there is…
deeba
Yay you…well done. What a great looking bread GF. I have yet to get going on this front, and you inspire me! xo
MarkH
I’d never heard of coccodrillo bread before – but I do love a good sourdough. Ah, and I just discovered via a little Googling that ‘coccodrillo’ is Italian for crocodile (should have guessed really!).
I’m not sure my bread making skills are up to one of these just yet. I can now make a really good basic crusty white or wholemeal loaf. Sourdough has proved elusive for me so far – good flavour but awful texture. But I’ll keep trying 🙂
Sue
So professional looking Barbara! I love bread:)
Lynda
Looks amazing Barbara! I love htis type of bread, but have not ventured to make it yet. I’m glad you went ahead and made it!
Frieda
Fabulous!! Love the chewy, crispy crust and the crumb looks absolutely divine!! I’ve bookmarked the recipe and hope to make it soon….Thanks!