Part 3/8:
Locatelli’s basic formula included flour, water, yeast, and salt—essential components found in many types of bread. But dissatisfaction with the bland results from his first attempt motivated him to infuse the recipe with herbs. The final ingredients list for a more flavorful loaf includes:
1,000 grams of flour
250 grams of leaven (biga or sourdough starter)
3 teaspoons of salt
400-500 milliliters of lukewarm water
Dried herbs (such as fennel and hyssop)
While wheat flour was the preferred grain according to Pliny the Elder, variations allowed for the use of other grains such as spelt, barley, and even buckwheat in the modern renditions of this ancient bread.