The request was for two loaves of bread for a family party of about 30. The bread would be served with pumpkin soup and alongside some tomato-based vegetarian mains.
I thought I would make two rather contrasting loaves but both 50% whole grain 50% white bread flour. One seeded loaf with khorasan and wholewheat, and the other with spelt and rye, mixed with a tablespoon of malt and some walnuts (ran out of cranberries).
The challenge this time was the scheduling. The party was at 4 pm and I would have to bake them at 8 am at home, before leaving for the party. This meant that cold retard in the fridge overnight was probably the way to go - something I try to avoid when baking for occasions due to the odd overproofed loaf in the fridge now and again. In addition I had very little time in the days leading up to properly schedule levain rising time, mixing time, stretch/folding time etc, so I decided to go the biga-way for maximum flavour and flexibility.
You will slowly realize I'm starting to become a biga-advert. These loaves were excellent!
I made both 46% hydration "apple-crumble" bigas with 10% SD in 5 mins arriving home late on Friday at 10 pm. Chucked them in the cold corridor where it's usually 16 degrees or so. The next day, I only had a window of 2 hours between 5 and 7 pm. I took the bigas in, hydrated them with the remaining water of the loaves to get to 76% hydration, and mixed in the 50% bread flour and 1.2% salt for each loaf. Each amounted to about 1 kg. The mixing itself took 20 mins in total. Gave it two SFs before leaving the house at 7 and left it to rise on the counter (20 degrees). Got home at 11 pm to 50% risen loaves. Quickly shaped and incorporated walnuts/coated with seeds, and left to rise in bannetons in the fridge.
Baked the next morning with no proofing mishap, 220 degrees for 40 minutes. Loaves rose very well in the oven.
Comparison of crumb:
Both crumbs were probably the most open I've had for 50% whole grain. Interestingly, there was still really good bite - elastic, spring - which differentiates these biga loaves from the long-fermented straight starter loaves in previous experiments.
The khorasan-wholewheat loaf was finished before the mains were served. People really loved the seeds (pine, pumpkin, sunflower, poppy).
The rye-spelt had a round, mellow character and went very well with the walnuts. I spotted a party-goer still munching on this bread without anything on it when it was already time for dessert. That made me quite happy. At the end of the party my sister-in-law asked if she could bring the remaining slices home for breakfast and that again made me even happier.
Overall, I'm really pleased with the new biga technique. I think it produces spectacular flavour for the amount of convenience and flexibility it gives me, coupled with the kind of crumb, flavour, balance of sourness, and bite I really like with next to no kneading. It's an excellent technique for people baking without a mixer and with somewhat erratic schedules. It's been a heavy few days - just gave a small piano performance of a Beethoven symphony with 2 weeks notice, and now a party done (also produced 3 spinach pies for it!) - so it would be nice to have quieter days and play around with the biga technique in earnest.
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What beautiful crumb and appearance of both breads - no wonder they went down so well! And it sure sounds you fit a lot in your life, this is a lovely achievement that you'll be able to think back upon fondly.
It's funny - to my mind you don't get sifted Khorasan, is this with a sifted Khorasan flour? Not that I know, I can't get either wholemeal or sifted Khorasan in these parts.
Love the appearance of both, especially the chocolatey malt look for the rye/spelt loaf! And 20 minutes mixing with the biga - would love to know the secret to your technique for getting the lumps out, assuming you have a secret that you're willing to divulge. And great to hear they weren't too sour even with the overnight in the fridge.
I'm inspired enough to try another 50% biga, simply because of the convenience and not finding time for baking, but unlike you I don't have wizard hands that can get all the lumps out in 20 minutes!
-Jon
...and no secret technique (I wish I had one)! Really, I think just dumping all the water into the biga and letting it soak for a few minutes while I get on with other prep works well. By the time I get back, the biga bits are really soft, and I don't have any lumps at all mixing the loaf. Perhaps it also depends on how well mixed the biga is? In my case, they were really like crumble bits, thoroughly incorporated but no doughy lumps, if you get what I mean. I wonder if it also matters that the flour I use in the biga is actually quite weak? Perhaps it would be harder to mix in bread flour biga bits.
This was made with whole khorasan, though sifted khorasan is also available (at a higher price!) from the mill. Such a pity that you can't get khorasan (or you probably can, just with exborbitant shipping). Quite lucky to have a variety of local grains and a mill here.
I really hope you'll try a 50% biga again. Such fun! A thoroughly new technique for me that just works so well. Need to thank Rene for egging me on - I was initially so hesitant because I thought it would be such a cumbersome method by hand.
And you know what - the fridge retard made it just a tad sour - really ideal for me - nothing near what I used to get. I'm getting really different results now, and I need to stretch the biga method more to fully exploit and understand it.
Wow, what gorgeous-looking loaves! I love processes where you can be casual and do-when-you-can like this. Thanks for sharing.
TomP
Exactly that - a really casual and flexible method. Really enjoying it.
You continue to produce marvels, Lin.
Am I correct in understanding that you made 46% hydration bigas with the whole grains (khorosan/ww & rye/spelt) and mixed in the bread flour later?
Rob
PS: No matter how small the piano may be, performing a beethoven symphony & baking stellar breads and pies in the same week is some serious multitasking.
That made me laugh, Rob. Thanks for your very nice words. You're right, I made the bigas with the whole grains and then mixed the bread flour in later. This does go against common wisdom I think - whole grains being a little weaker, sped up fermentation etc - but I've always made my pre-ferments with whole grains so wanted to make a more reliable, initial comparison with other methods that I'm used to.
You have taken to this like a duck to water Lin! I am glad it has worked well with your bakes. I think you have understood the way this biga works very well and the thinking behind it and are using the technique in the way it gives the best results. Pleased I am not the only one badgering people to try it any more!
These latest loaves look great and I can almost taste how you describe them just from the photos. I also like the flavour of sourdough, but in a more subtle way, with this method. And it helps a lot with weaker and less standardized flours. It's a ideally suited to SD bread made with durum/rimacinata flours, but great to see you use other such specialist flours to such good effect.
My SD starter woke up in good form from its hibernation and have a lovely non-biga liquid SD preferment 30% wholemeal wheat loaf from it today, so will be giving it a run-out with the shaggy biga next bake.
These look delicious.
A nice showcase of what can be done using the biga method. I like your descriptive terming of this biga as "apple crumble" in type. I think it could catch on...!
A good process and it's great that it allows for that flexibility.
Well done!
Michael