Many traditional breads in Italy taste so good because they are leavened with a biga; a spongy
mixture made from flour, water, and some commercial yeast. This sponge ferments at room temperature
on its own, for a few hours or as long as two days.
If you mix a biga in a 4-cup glass measuring cup or clear glass bowl, you'll be able to see its
bubbling action throughout the process. You'll also give the mixture the room it needs to expand to
three times its original volume. Cover it with plastic wrap and tuck it inside a microwave oven or
an unlit range oven for 12 to 48 hours. The thick mixture will bubble up and rise, and then fall
slightly. At the end, it will look like pancake batter.
To make bread dough, you mix the sponge with flour and water, adding salt for flavor. Knead the
dough on a lightly floured surface for 4 to 6 minutes, or until the dough is resilient. Even novice
bakers will sense when the dough has been sufficiently kneaded: It feels alive.
At this point, you may set aside the dough to rise--just once, or as often as three times--punching
it down between rises. You might even cover the bowl tightly and leave the dough in the refrigerator
for several hours. Because a slow rise provides more time for complex flavors to develop, bread made
this way will taste even better.
Any all-purpose flour is suitable for the following recipe. It contains a small amount of whole-
wheat flour for color and flavor, but the recipe will work perfectly well with all-purpose flour
alone. Filtered or bottled water is best if your tap water contains chemicals that might add off
flavors. Active dry yeast, not instant dry yeast, is specified here because its slower rise results
in a better flavor.
If you're a novice, you may want to prepare bread by hand this first time. The experience will be
more pleasurable, and educational, as you feel how soft and moist this dough should be. But the
recipe will also work in a food processor or electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. A plastic
dough scraper makes quick work of cleaning the bowl. Bake the bread on heavy baking pans that
don't buckle with the heat. If you have a ceramic baking stone, preheat it and bake the loaves
directly on it for a crisper crust. After the baked bread is cool, store it in a brown paper bag
for a day or two.
If you choose to double this recipe to make 4 loaves, add only 1 tablespoon of salt for the double-
batch recipe. and doubling is an excellent idea; it's barely more work and you'll have extra loaves
to store in the freezer.
Rustic Bread Yield: 2 loaves (about 1 pound each)
Sponge:
1 package (1/4-ounce) active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
1/2 cup warm bottled or filtered water (105F to l15F)
2/4 cup all-purpose flour
Dough:
1 1/2 cups warm bottled or filtered water (105F to l15F) 1 cup whole-wheat flour 2 teaspoons salt 3
to 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
To prepare the sponge: In a medium bowl, combine the yeast and water. Stir to dissolve. Add the
flour and beat to make a batter. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Set aside in a draft free spot for
12 to 48 hours.
To prepare by hand: Scrape the sponge into a large mixing bowl. Add the water, whole wheat flour,
and salt. Beat with a wooden spoon to make a batter. Adding about 1/2 cup at a time, incorporate 2
1/2 cups of all-purpose flour, mixing well after each addition.
Measure the remaining 1 cup of flour. Dust a work surface with 1 tablespoon of the flour and pour
the rest in a mound alongside your work surface. Turn the dough onto the work surface. Clean the
bowl with a plastic dough scraper. Clean hands and scraper with flour. Lightly dust the dough with a
little of the remaining flour. Using the dough scraper, turn the dough over on itself until its
outer surface is no longer sticky.
Knead the dough, dusting the work surface as necessary, for 4 to 6 minutes, or until the dough is
springy. All of the flour may not be needed. Coat a large bowl with no-stick spray. Shape the dough
into a ball, and place in the bowl. Coat with spray. Cover with plastic wrap; set aside to rise at
room temperature for about 1 hour, or until doubled.
Scatter 2 to 3 tablespoons of cornmeal on a large baking sheet. Punch down the dough. Divide in
half. Allow to sit for 10 minutes. On a lightly floured work surface, use lightly floured palms to
press each dough half into a rectangle, about 12 by 6 inches. Starting at one long end, roll into a
tube and pinch the ends to seal. Rub the loaves all over with flour. Place the loaves on the
prepared baking sheet. Dust the loaves with flour. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to rise for
about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Bake the loaves for 25 to 30 minutes, or until they are well-browned and an instant-reading
thermometer registers 200 F in the center of each loaf. Remove to a rack to cool.
To prepare in a food processor: Place the sponge in a food processor work bowl fitted with a plastic
or metal blade. Add dough ingredients and process according to recipe directions.
To prepare with an electric mixer: Place the sponge in the large bowl of an electric mixer fitted
with a dough hook. Add dough ingredients and beat according to recipe directions.
To freeze the bread: Cool completely, then cut into slices 1 inch thick. Wrap tightly in plastic
wrap, then in aluminum foil.
To thaw the bread: Unwrap the bread and discard the plastic wrap. Separate the slices and place them
on the foil. Place in a preheated 350F oven for about 10 minutes, or until warm. This method
produces a crisp crust.
Variations
Cheese Bread After pressing the dough into two rectangles, sprinkle each with 1/2 teaspoon minced
fresh rosemary (or crumbled dried oregano, thyme, or sage), plus 1/2 cup shredded Gruyere, Fontina,
Tuscan Pecorino, or provolone cheese, mixed with 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese.
Olive Bread Work 1/2 cup pitted, slivered ripe olives into the dough during the kneading.
Rustic Bread Rolls Before the last rising, shape the dough into 16 small or 8 large ovals. Place on
a baking sheet dusted with cornmeal. Dust with flour. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to rise
for about 45 minutes, or until doubled. Bake in a preheated 425F oven for about 15 minutes, or until
the rolls are well browned.
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