I believe this is the recipe from John in Yorkshire. I met him and
his wife in 2004 and he gave me some wonderful bread.
Laura
Cocodrillo -- Crocodile Bread
This bread, named for its shape, was dreamed up by Gianfranco Anelli,
a baker in Rome. It is his favorite bread and, judging from the
number of people who come from all over the city to buy it, it may be
his most popular as well. At the bakery it takes two days to make
it; I suggest that you start it in the morning, work at it again for
ten minutes in the evening, and finish the next day. I actually
prefer to stretch the process over three days because the flavor is
even better. Three days may seem formidable, but the working time
of the first two days is only 5 to 10 minutes.
This is on dough that you will find difficult to make without an
electric mixer, for it requires thirty minutes of continuous
stirring for the final dough -- of course you could enlist help. The
result is an extremely light bread with a crunchy dark-speckled crust
and a very chewy interior. The bread stays fresh for an amazing
number of days.
Makes 2 large loaves
First Starter
1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast or 1/6 small cake (3 grams) fresh years
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup (35 grams) durum flour
3/4 cup (90 grams) unbleached stone-ground flour
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 ad let rise for 12 to 24
hours. The starter should be bubbly.
Second Starter
1 1/4 teaspoons dry yeast or 1/2 small cake (9 grams) fresh yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 1/4 cups water, room temperature
1/2 cup (70 grams) durum flour 1 1/2 cups (180 grams) unbleached
stone-ground flour
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 an electric mixer
until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 12 to 24 hours.
Dough
1/4 cup (35 grams) durum flour
1 to 1 1/4 cups (120 to 140 grams) unbleached stone-ground flour
1 1/2 tablespoons (25 grams) salt
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 off the mixer 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 widemouthed
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 widemouthed
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 70F, 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 a 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.
Baking: Thirty minutes before baking, heat the oven with a baking
stone in it to 475F. Just before baking, cut the dough in half down
the center using a dough scraper; a knife would just 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.
Source: Carol Field's "The Italian Baker"