…after watching a number of movies from the Vito Iacopelli and Gluten Morgan YouTube channels. Having been reticent (or simply lazy?) to discover a lot past my normal 100% hydration levains and poolish, the movies made a case for decrease hydration pre-ferments. My expertise, at @DanAyo’s encouragement, with @txfarmer’s spectacular tremendous shredible Sourdough Sandwich Bread has given me a little bit of gratifying expertise with a decrease hydration (67%) preferment, so what the heck, I dived into biga and the outcomes have been each scrumptious and fascinating. I made two batches this week, one for a Schiacciata dinner and the subsequent for a batch of pizzas principally consumed final evening.

Gluten Morgan’s recipe used a 50% hydration “biga,” although the presenters tap-danced across the time period as purists, it appears, assume 45% is extra genuine. (😬 A lot authenticity-signaling going round in food-related content material nowadays.) Irrespective of,  for each batches I created the biga with 80% of the recipe flour, 50% of the water and ADY at 1% of whole recipe flour. Delicate mixing finally created a stringy/chunky biga, because the objective is to simply get the flour hydrated with minimal gluten formation. The biga then spent the evening in my 60-ish diploma storage.

Subsequent day the biga smelled beautiful, vaguely a bit like aImond extract, an actual shock! I’ve observed this floral be aware, although to a a lot lesser diploma, in different doughs made with my Central Milling AP. Having consulted TFL on biga (thanks @albacore, @trailrunner,  @ReneR, et al), subsequent day I broke up the fermented biga and soaked it within the remaining 50% water for half-hour, then gently mooshed at low velocity for 5-ish minutes earlier than including the remaining 20% of flour and a pair of% salt. 10 minutes kneading at Ank 2, then added 1% olive oil and 10 extra minutes at Ank 4. 1 hour counter relaxation with 3 stretch and folds. Stand again as a result of this dough takes off quick! First batch was baked as a half-sheet-pan focaccia (for our  schiacciata which, I feel, is a sandwich made with just-baked sizzling focaccia) after proofing in pan. Second batch was portioned into 4 pizza balls and refrigerated.

Right here’s the 4 pizza components. Scale back by 25% for a half-sheet focaccia.

Biga

520 g flour (520 + 130)

260 g water (260 + 260)

7 g yeast

Gently combine to stringy, chunky texture.

Retailer at 62° for 12-18 hours or refrigerate for as much as 48 hours.

Ultimate Dough

260 g water

130 g flour

20 g salt

7 g olive oil

Break up the biga and soak within the water for 30+ minutes.
Combine at low velocity for five minutes. Water will flip milky.

Add remaining flour and salt.

Knead at reasonably low velocity (Ank or KA 2) for 10 minutes.

Add oil.

Knead extra aggressively (Ank or KA 4) for 5-10 minutes.

Counter relaxation for 60 minutes with 3 S&Fs.
Observe your pizza or focaccia protocol to finish.

Will certainly be seeking to do extra biga doughs beginning with one utilizing sourdough starter in lieu of ADY.

A bientôt,

Phil