In the Character of: Matera Bread

Profile picture for user The Roadside Pie King

So we begin. I have my formula nailed down. The procedure, will be the actually steps  from soup to nuts!

The Biga Detail

If i understand your numbers correctly, you have 33% hydration after Refreshment #1 ( before refreshment #2).  10 water, 30 flour.

If you add 5 grams water in Refreshment #1, you'll have 50% hydration at that point.

Though, that will give you 45 g biga at that point.

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Or... if you want to still end up with only 40 grams biga, add 16.7 grams flour and 3.3 grams water.   And you will have 26.7 flour, 13.3 water, for a total of 40.

You understood my numbers perfectly. Additionally, your calculations are correct. I still can't figure out what I did wrong. I was shooting for a 2:1 ratio.  However, I am not to concerned because I now have a plug and play hydration converter! Thanks to Dan and Alfonso! I am going to use your first solution as it is more elegant and exactly what I was trying to accomplish.  Thanks again for your time. I get excited at this point in a bake/formula creation! Smile...

Thanks for your help, Indiana Dave!

My math is sorted, as luck would have it I will end with exactly enough biga to add a 400Gram baguette to the bake.. That will make this truly and epic bake!  (Again, I build the anticipation to fever pitch only to set up a huge letdown) Mybe lighting can strike twice in the same place? Fingers crossed. 

Moving right along. Once I have the required amount of extra fancy semolina I should be ready for a extra long Autolyse.  I didn't plan this out to well so refrigeration may also be necessary to tweak the timing to fit a reasonable persons schedule. 

I already screwed the pooch, I forgot to hold back some water to dissolve the biga in. I may have to up the hydration just a bit.

 

Profile picture for user The Roadside Pie King

In reply to by The Roadside P…

Epic! Ever since my first bread book, The Bread Bakers Apprentice, I wanted to bake a huge epic loaf. Fingers crossed!

 

I can now scratch that one off my list! Looks so authentic, not burned, a glorious char, like from a wood burning oven! 2 Kilos how cool is that? I present the ancient Bread of Matera.