Tuscany Cuisine Baking

Traditional Biga Starter for Italian Bread

๐Ÿž Bread Starter ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น Italian โณ 22h Ferment
Homeโ€บ All Recipesโ€บ Baking Directoryโ€บ Biga
Italian biga pre-ferment in a bowl

Ingredients

Base = 1ร— batch.
  • 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
  • 1/4 cup warm water
  • 13/16 cup room-temperature water
  • 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Optional bakerโ€™s % reference (base 100% flour): yeast ~0.5%, total water ~41% warm + 59% room-temp (overall ~41% + 59% of hydration water for mixing context).

๐ŸŒพ Contains Gluten ๐Ÿง€ Dairy-Free ๐Ÿฅš Egg-Free

Preparation Method

  1. Dissolve yeast in warm water; rest ~10 minutes until creamy.
  2. Stir in room-temperature water, then mix in flour until fully incorporated; dough is firm and slightly tacky.
  3. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and ferment at cool room temperature (~22 hours) until tripled and aromatic.
  4. Refrigerate until needed. Scoop the required amount into your dough formula.
Nutrition (per 100 g prepared biga, estimate)
Calories~260 kcal
Carbohydrates~54 g
Protein~8 g
Fat~1 g

Use Your Biga In:

Pair savory bakes with Chianti Classico or Morellino; sweet bakes with Vin Santo or a dry sparkling.