Biga: A Stiff Pre-Ferment for Strong, Chewy Dough

Biga is a classic Italian pre-dough: a dry and almost brittle lump, which ferments slowly and cold throughout the day. It is the basis for a large part of the Italian pizzas and breads with the strong structure and the typical chewiness.

The basic relationships

• Hydration: 50 to 60 percent - that is, much less water than flour.
• Yeast: about one percent of the weight of the flour, dry or fresh. Much more polished, because dry dough naturally ferments more slowly.
• Fermentation time: 16 to 24 hours.
• Temperature: Cool, ideally around 16 to 18°C. A cool corner of the house or a wine fridge are suitable; A normal refrigerator is too cold and slows down the process too much.

how to prepare

1. Mix flour, cold water and yeast in a bowl - just until there is no dry flour left. It will look lumpy and uneven, and that's fine.
2. Do not put! Biga does not need developed gluten at this stage, and kneading will only heat it up unnecessarily.
3. Cover well - dry dough dries quickly on the surface - and place in a cool place for the fermentation time.

How do you know she's ready?

Ready Biga does not look like a fizzy liquid. It is still a lump, but a lump that has softened, swelled a little, and is full of holes and small bubbles when you cut it. The smell becomes distinctly sour and alcoholic. If the face is still dense and smooth without bubbles - it just needs more time.

Biga is very forgiving in the time frame. It is better to leave her an extra hour than to use it before she has time to wake up.

Mix in the final dough

Crumble the biga into small pieces into the liquids of the main paste and mix well before adding the rest of the flour. This way it spreads evenly without lumps that remain stuck in the dough. And since the biga has already contributed a significant part of the fermentation, it is possible to significantly reduce the amount of yeast in the main dough.

Common mistakes

• Knead the biga as if it were normal dough. A short mixing until there is no dry flour is all that is needed.
• Ferment it in heat to speed it up. Biga that ferments too quickly develops less flavor and may collapse before you can use it.
• Combine it straight from the cold. You should let it acclimatize a little to the room temperature, otherwise it slows down the main pulp.
• Give up kitchen weight. The difference between 55% and 65% hydration completely changes its behavior.