Matera bread: how Panificio Perrone has been preparing it since 1890

Matera bread is not just any bread. It is a product that carries with it shape, aroma, consistency, and memory. Those who know it recognize it by its substantial crust, straw-yellow crumb, irregular alveolation, and that full flavor that speaks of the connection between durum wheat, natural leavening, and the baker's craft.

At Panificio Perrone, Matera bread is not born from a mechanically replicated recipe, but from a working method developed over time. Every phase, from preparing the sourdough to baking, is carefully monitored because the final result depends on the balance between raw material, resting times, manual skill, and sensitivity.

Those who wish to taste the result of this process can try our tall Matera bread, prepared on request and available online in various sizes.

Matera bread according to the Perrone method

The Matera bread prepared by Panificio Perrone is born from a slow process, designed to develop aroma, structure, and shelf life.

The process begins in the early hours of the night. That's when the laboratory comes alive and the process that will lead to the formation of the loaves begins. The choice to work at night is not accidental: bread needs time, controlled resting periods, and careful management of leavening before baking.

The dough is based on selected flours, water, salt, and sourdough. These ingredients are only seemingly simple, because the quality of the bread depends on how they are chosen, measured, and processed. In the Perrone method, technology is present, but it does not replace the baker's work. Tools help ensure precision and continuity, but the most important decisions remain entrusted to experience: observing the dough, evaluating its strength, understanding when it is ready, and accompanying it until baking.

The flour blend: the starting point of the bread

The quality of Matera bread starts with the flour. At Panificio Perrone, the blend used is largely composed of Senatore Cappelli durum wheat, flanked by re-milled durum wheat semolina. This combination helps give the bread color, structure, aroma, and character.

Senatore Cappelli durum wheat is appreciated for its intense aromatic profile and its identity linked to Italian cereal tradition. Compared to many modern flours, it offers characteristics that make it particularly interesting for artisanal bread making attentive to the quality of the raw material.

Re-milled durum wheat semolina, on the other hand, contributes to the structure of the dough and the color of the crumb. Its naturally yellow hue, linked to the presence of carotenoids, is one of the elements that help achieve that straw-yellow crumb typical of Matera bread.

The blend is not chosen just for taste. It influences the dough's ability to absorb water, develop structure, support leavening, and maintain good shelf life after baking. This is why flour is never a detail: it is the first true technical step in making bread.

Sourdough: the living heart of the dough

One of the central elements of Panificio Perrone's Matera bread is sourdough. It is not treated like any ingredient, but as a living component, to be cared for with constancy and attention.

Every night, the bakery refreshes a sourdough starter and lets it mature for 72 hours. Only after this time is the sourdough used in the dough, when it has reached the vitality necessary to contribute to fermentation in a balanced way.

This step is fundamental because sourdough is not only used to make the dough rise. It gives aroma, aromatic complexity, structure, and better natural preservation. Its slow action allows the mass to mature deeply, developing characteristics that could not be obtained with too rapid a leavening.

Working with sourdough means accepting longer times and greater technical sensitivity. Sourdough changes based on temperature, season, flour strength, and how it is refreshed. This requires knowledge, control, and continuity.

The dough: a slow and controlled process

Once the ingredients are prepared, it's time for the dough. At Panificio Perrone, the mass is worked with a diving arm mixer for about 45 minutes. This type of mixer allows for a more delicate process compared to more aggressive systems, because it accompanies the mass without stressing it excessively.

During this phase, the dough begins to take on structure. The flour absorbs water, the gluten network develops, the sourdough distributes itself in the mass, and the mixture progressively becomes more elastic and homogeneous. It is not a simple mixing of ingredients, but a decisive technical phase for the final quality of the bread.

A poorly worked dough can compromise the entire subsequent process. If the mass does not develop an adequate structure, it will not be able to correctly retain the fermentation gases. If it is worked excessively or too aggressively, it can lose balance and become more difficult to manage.

For this reason, the kneading time is not considered mechanically. What matters is the behavior of the mass: consistency, elasticity, temperature, and ability to withstand the subsequent phases. The baker observes and evaluates, because each dough can react slightly differently.

The first rest: when the dough begins to transform

Once the kneading phase is finished, the mass is left to rest in a stainless steel tub for about two hours. It is an seemingly simple moment, but in reality very important. During this rest, the dough begins to transform: it gains strength, relaxes, and begins the natural leavening process.

The first bubbles that appear in the mass are an important signal. They indicate that fermentation has begun correctly and that the sourdough is working. The dough changes consistency, becomes more alive, and begins to develop that internal structure that, after baking, will become alveolation.

This phase requires control. If the dough is left to rest too little, it may not yet have the necessary strength to be worked. If, on the other hand, it is left to go too far, it risks losing tension and becoming weaker during shaping.

In Matera bread, where shape and structure are fundamental elements, the first rest must be managed with great care. It is one of the phases where the baker's experience counts more than the clock.

Dividing and shaping: the baker's hand shapes the bread

When the dough is ready, it is "lifted" in pieces and brought to the work table. Here, the manual division takes place, meaning the mass is divided into portions that will become the future loaves.

This phase requires precision and sensitivity. It's not just about dividing the dough into pieces of the same weight, but about handling it without damaging its structure. The mass has already begun to ferment and contains air, tension, and development: the baker must work it decisively, but without tearing or unnecessarily crushing it.

After division, each portion is transformed into a spherical loaf and placed on cotton cloths inside wooden crates. Here, natural leavening continues for about another hour.

This is a delicate phase because it prepares the dough for final shaping. The loaf must relax, grow, and maintain strength. Matera bread requires a structure capable of supporting a significant shape, which is not born from a mold, but from the hand of someone who knows the dough.

The shape of Matera bread: cornetto and panella

One of the most recognizable elements of Matera bread is its shape. At Panificio Perrone, the bread can come in the traditional cornetto shape or the panella shape, also known as tall bread.

The shape is not an aesthetic detail. It affects baking, crumb distribution, crust development, and bread preservation. A tall, well-formed loaf retains internal moisture better, while the substantial crust protects the crumb and contributes to the product's longevity.

Manual shaping is when the baker's experience becomes particularly evident. Each loaf is molded with quick, precise movements, attempting to create tension in the dough without compromising its internal structure.

This is where the bread acquires its final identity. The traditional shape is not born from a machine, but from the relationship between the dough and the baker's hand. This is why each bread retains a unique artisanal component, even within a precise and controlled method.

Oven preparation and loading

While the loaves complete their leavening, the oven is prepared for baking. The base is carefully cleaned of wood combustion residues, so as to receive the bread in the correct conditions.

Loading the oven is one of the most delicate phases of the entire process. The bakers manually shape each loaf and arrange it on the oven floor following precise order, space, and timing. The arrangement of the loaves is also important: it influences heat circulation and baking uniformity.

The bread enters the oven when it has reached the right balance between strength and leavening. If it is loaded too early, it will not have developed enough volume. If it is loaded too late, it may lose structure. Here too, the correct moment does not depend only on time, but on the ability to read the dough.

Slow baking: where the bread develops crust, aroma, and structure

The baking of the bread lasts approximately two hours. It is a long phase, necessary to allow the loaf to bake thoroughly and develop its most recognizable characteristics.

During baking, the bread grows, stabilizes, and gradually forms its crust. The surface acquires the typical almond-skin color, becoming thick, crunchy, and fragrant. Inside, the crumb takes on consistency and maintains its straw-yellow color.

Slow baking is also fundamental for the aroma. The aromas of bread do not come only from the flour or sourdough, but from how these elements react to heat. Well-conducted baking allows for the development of deeper notes, a more intense crust, and a more balanced internal structure.

The result is a bread with high porosity and irregular air pockets, which can vary from a few millimeters to larger sizes. This alveolation speaks to the quality of the leavening, the correct management of the dough, and the ability to bring the product to baking without forcing it.

What Panificio Perrone's Matera bread should be like

Panificio Perrone's Matera bread stands out for certain precise characteristics. The crumb is straw yellow, fragrant, and well-structured. The crust has a color reminiscent of almond skin, with significant thickness and a crisp consistency.

When cut, the crumb shows an irregular porosity. It is not compact and uniform, but alive, marked by alveoli of different sizes. This structure is the result of natural leavening and manual processing, not standardized production.

The aroma is intense and recognizable. The flavor is full, with a rustic note given by the blend of flours and sourdough. It is a bread designed to last, not just to be eaten fresh out of the oven.

Shelf life is, in fact, one of the most important characteristics of well-made artisanal bread. The substantial crust, the size, and the natural leavening contribute to keeping the bread enjoyable even in the following days, if stored correctly.

Watch the Matera bread making process

Describing how Matera bread is made is important, but seeing it take shape allows for an even better understanding of the work behind each loaf.

On the bakery's Instagram profile, we have shared three dedicated reels on our bread-making process. In these videos, you can follow the different stages of production. 

Those who wish to see our bakery's working method up close can watch the entire process through these contents:

Part 1 - The dough
Part 2 - Dividing
Part 3 - Final shaping and loading into the oven

Through these videos, you can concretely observe what makes Panificio Perrone's bread unique and recognizable.

The bread described in this article is available on the dedicated Matera bread page of Panificio Perrone, where you can choose the most suitable size and order the product directly online.