Biga Hearth Bread and Flatbread Discuss Biga in the Brick Oven Cooking forums; I followed a recipe today to make biga for a Italian Pagnotta. I have never made a biga before. The ...

[ERASMO]

I followed a recipe today to make biga for a Italian Pagnotta. I have never made a biga before. The texture is like a thick dough. Is this normal?

[krosskraft]

isn't that the definition of Biga.....thick dough? As opposed to a poolish, runny dough. I "dough know" yuk yuk

[arevalo53anos]

Biga normal relationship flour 100%, water 40 to 45%, IDY 1%, 24 hours in refrigerator.

I use to build the biga using sourdough in place of IDY, 10 to 20% of sourdough (or preferment) and the same quantities of Flour and Water as above.
The final result will be like a salami, a hard surface like bread and an fully of holes interior.
Somebody uses only the inner part of the biga to make bread. I always had used the full biga broked in little pieces.
All the water, the biga in bits, mixing, adding half of the flour, autolise if used, salt, the final half of flour and oil if used.
Good luck.
Luis

[arevalo53anos]

Sorry, I forgot to mention that I use to ferment the biga at ambient temperature, by 12 to 24 hours depending on temperature.
Luis

[ERASMO]

thanks for the info!