Biga

Directions

1. 1
   Sprinkle yeast onto the 1/4 cup warm water and let stand approximately 10 minutes until creamy.
2. 2
   Add rest of water, stir.
3. 3
   Add flour, one cup at a time and stir.
4. 4
   Mix with wooden spoon for approximately.
5. 5
   4 minutes.
6. 6
   Oil a bowl three times as large as the mixture's volume and scrape dough into that bowl.
7. 7
   Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 8-24 hours in a cool room or until triple in volume.
8. 8
   The longer it sits, the more character it develops.
9. 9
   If you let it go too long, it will take on sour overtones similar to sourdough starter as a result of the acidic by-products of yeast metabolism.
10. 10
    If the room is cool enough--60-65 deg.
11. 11
    F, 24 hours will yield a nice, mellow-flavored biga.
12. 12
    You only need your first biga to get started.
13. 13
    Then it is simply a matter of making bread at least once a week or so if you have refrigeration to keep the biga alive.
14. 14
    If you don't have refrigeration, you would want to make bread every day and save a portion of the new dough you make each day as a starter for tomorrow's bread.
15. 15
    Just take that portion BEFORE you add salt to the new bread dough.
16. 16
    In this case, you would keep tomorrow's starter at room temperature.
17. 17
    Use as you would a sourdough starter.
18. 18
    For a rough guide, use approximately one cup of biga for a bread recipe calling for 7-8 cups of flour.