Apulia is undoubtedly among the regions with one of the finest and most appreciated gastronomic heritages in Italy. Indeed, it boasts numerous genuine, high-quality raw materials, thanks to its characteristic mild climate, particularly fertile land, and the skilled labour of farmers who continue to work the land according to ancient traditions, making our zero-food-mile products among the best in the world. Among these Mediterranean excellences we also find wheat, defined as “Apulia's yellow gold”. It is not only the production of durum wheat that gives Apulia this leading position, but also the conversion of the latter into re-milled semolina, which is used for the production of pasta, pastries and bread.
Surely the most famous bread in the whole of Apulia (and beyond) is that of Altamura, its production has very ancient origins and its particularity is the crunchy crust that contains a soft crumb that is moist to just the right degree.
There are many bakers who produce it while respecting traditions, and it is curious to see how so many young people are taking an interest in these ancient bread-making methods.
Specifically, a young man from Conversano, Francesco Colella, who left for England years ago, decided to return to Puglia and get closer to the culture of bread-making, turning it into a true passion, favouring old varieties of heritage grains: from durum wheats such as Senatore Cappelli and Tumminia to soft wheats like Verna, Maiorca, etc. The reason he prefers to use these grains lies in the fact that they are low in gluten and are therefore more easily digested by our bodies.
-When did you start doing this job?
I started out in this industry, working as a pizza chef in 2010, in England, on the Isle of Wight, when I left home for the first time to have an experience abroad. As the days went by, I realised more and more that it wasn't just a simple job and that something was triggering inside me: the need to delve deeper and understand a little more about flours and rising.
-How did your passion for baking come about?
After a few years I returned to Conversano and started working in a bakery, and it was there that I realised bread was my passion. I remember that when I was a child I went crazy for the smell of the dough my mother used to make, and that I would stand there curiously waiting for this dough to grow and rise under a wool blanket.
-What difficulties did you encounter?
I started again with the intention of growing in this sector, I was determined to gain experience with great Italian bakers, I found it difficult at first when no one replied to me so I could do an internship, but perseverance rewarded me and finally the opportunity for an internship in Milan came my way.
-Who do you have to thank?
I thank Davide Longoni, master baker from Milan, for giving me the opportunity to meet within his workshop a benchmark in the sector: Adriano Del Mastro, it is he who taught me the management of natural yeast.
- How would you like to highlight the traditional flavours of ancient Puglia?
Now, back in Puglia, I work at a Restaurant-Pizzeria in Gravina di Puglia. I bake naturally leavened bread using soft wheat flour and local durum wheat semolina; we are in the homeland of wheat and we must respect and enhance this yellow gold that we benefit from.
-Seeing as competition in this sector is high, how do you make a difference?
I'm trying to make a natural bread, without chemical additives, using only stone-ground flours, water, salt and sourdough.
-How is the dough preparation carried out?
Preparation begins the evening before by refreshing the sourdough starter. Once the sourdough has reached maturity, I proceed with the mixing stage. There are various steps with procedures that require medium-to-long times, and it is precisely these that impart organoleptic properties to the bread, which is artisanally produced.
-Where do you see yourself in ten years' time?
That's a good question... in ten years' time I hope to have my own business, my own workshop where I can bring people and help them understand the value of traditional bread.
Seeing more and more young people committed to valuing and highlighting Apulian traditions and the products of our land is a strong sign of growth for the region's economy.
The excellence of the region is recognised worldwide and the considerable export of our products abroad means that Apulia is reassessed and considered among the most “complete” regions in terms of food and wine, agricultural production and tourism in the whole of Italy.