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Biga Recipe - Carol Field
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Total Time: 6 Hours 20 Minutes
Yields: 2 1/3 cups
Conversion Chart: Here >>
Chef's Notes: Tips:
Biga is a starter dough made from small amounts of flour, water, and yeast.
Biga helps develop a wonderful sweet grain flavor.
Biga develops a special porosity in the final loaves of bread.
Biga helps the bread remain fresher.
Biga can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.
Biga freezes very well and needs only about 3 hours at room temperature until it is bubbly and active again.
This biga recipe is used in Carol Field's ciabatta bread recipe.
Ingredients:
¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
¼ cup (2 ounces/60 grams) warm water
¾ cup plus 4 teaspoons (7 ounces/200 grams) water, preferably bottled spring water, at room temperature
2 1/3 cups (11.6 ounces/330 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
Vegetable oil, for the bowl
Procedure:
1. Stir the yeast into the warm water and let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. Stir the remaining water into the creamy yeast mixture, and then stir in the flour, 1 cup at a time. If mixing by hand, stir with a wooden spoon for 3 to 4 minutes. If mixing with a stand mixer, beat with the paddle at the lowest speed for 2 minutes. If mixing with a food processor, mix just until a sticky dough forms.
3. Transfer the biga to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise at cool room temperature for 6 to 24 hours, until the starter is triple its original volume but is still wet and sticky. (The bakers I admire most advise 10 to 11 hours for the first rise, but others are very happy with the 24 hours it takes for dough to truly become yesterday’s dough, and if you like sour bread, allow your biga to rest for 24 to 48 hours or even 72 hours.)
4. Cover and refrigerate or freeze the biga until ready to use. (If refrigerating the biga, use within 5 days. If freezing the biga, let it rest at room temperature for about 3 hours until it is bubbly and active again.) When needed, scoop out the desired amount of biga for your recipe and proceed. I strongly recommend weighing the biga rather than measuring it by volume since it expands at room temperature. If measuring by volume, measure chilled biga; if measuring by weight, the biga may be chilled or at room temperature.
Recipe Type: Authentic
Recipe Author: Carol Field
Book: The Italian Baker
Book Author: Carol Field
Publisher: Ten Speed Press, 2011
Original Photograph By:
Photograph Retouched By: Recipe Spy
Recipe Source: http://leitesculinaria.com/79243/recipes-biga.html
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