…after watching a few videos from the Vito Iacopelli and Gluten Morgan YouTube channels. Having been reticent (or just lazy?) to explore much beyond my standard 100% hydration levains and poolish, the videos made a case for lower hydration pre-ferments. My experience, at @DanAyo’s encouragement, with @txfarmer’s spectacular super shredible Sourdough Sandwich Bread has given me a bit of gratifying experience with a lower hydration (67%) preferment, so what the heck, I dived into biga and the results were both delicious and interesting. I made two batches this week, one for a Schiacciata dinner and the next for a batch of pizzas mostly consumed last night.
Gluten Morgan’s recipe used a 50% hydration “biga,” though the presenters tap-danced around the term as purists, it seems, think 45% is more authentic. (😬 So much authenticity-signaling going around in food-related content these days.) No matter, for both batches I created the biga with 80% of the recipe flour, 50% of the water and ADY at 1% of total recipe flour. Delicate mixing ultimately created a stringy/chunky biga, as the goal is to just get the flour hydrated with minimal gluten formation. The biga then spent the night in my 60-ish degree garage.
Next day the biga smelled lovely, vaguely a bit like aImond extract, a real surprise! I have noticed this floral note, though to a much lesser degree, in other doughs made with my Central Milling AP. Having consulted TFL on biga (thank you @albacore, @trailrunner, @ReneR, et al), next day I broke up the fermented biga and soaked it in the remaining 50% water for 30 minutes, then gently mooshed at low speed for 5-ish minutes before adding the remaining 20% of flour and 2% salt. 10 minutes kneading at Ank 2, then added 1% olive oil and 10 more minutes at Ank 4. 1 hour counter rest with 3 stretch and folds. Stand back because this dough takes off fast! First batch was baked as a half-sheet-pan focaccia (for our schiacciata which, I think, is a sandwich made with just-baked hot focaccia) after proofing in pan. Second batch was portioned into 4 pizza balls and refrigerated.
Here’s the 4 pizza formula. Reduce by 25% for a half-sheet focaccia.
Biga
520 g flour (520 + 130)
260 g water (260 + 260)
7 g yeast
Gently mix to stringy, chunky texture.
Store at 62° for 12-18 hours or refrigerate for up to 48 hours.
Final Dough
260 g water
130 g flour
20 g salt
7 g olive oil
Break up the biga and soak in the water for 30+ minutes.
Mix at low speed for 5 minutes. Water will turn milky.
Add remaining flour and salt.
Knead at moderately low speed (Ank or KA 2) for 10 minutes.
Add oil.
Knead more aggressively (Ank or KA 4) for 5-10 minutes.
Counter rest for 60 minutes with 3 S&Fs.
Follow your pizza or focaccia protocol to complete.
Will definitely be looking to do more biga doughs starting with one using sourdough starter in lieu of ADY.
A bientôt,
Phil
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