Biga Starter / Ciabatta Bread

---- For the Biga starter: ----
1/2 tsp yeast, dry 
1/2 cup warm whey (or water)
1 1/2 cups + 2 Tbsp + 2 tsp whey (or water)
660 gm bread flour (5 cups)

---- For the Ciabatta: ----
2 tsp yeast, dry
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp warm milk
2 cup + 6 Tbsp whey (or water)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Kg Biga (4 cups)
1 Kg bread flour (7 1/2 cups)
2 Tbsp salt
Parchment paper
Corn meal, fine

Note: The above ingredients make 8 loaves, which is a lot; the bread freezes well double wrapped.  The recipe can be halved.

To make the starter --
Stir the yeast into the water and let stand until cloudy, 10 - 15 minutes.  Stir in remaining ingredients and beat with a wooden spoon until relatively smooth. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and let rise at a low temperature (50 F is ideal) overnight until tripled in bulk.  The Biga will be moist and sticky.

To make the Ciabatta --
Stir the yeast into the milk and let sit 10 - 15 minutes.  Add all the remaining ingredients and knead (in a mixer with a dough hook or in a processor with the dough blade, or best of all, in a Magic Mill Assistant.  Note that you will have about 100 grams of Biga left over. Knead about 2-3 minutes at low speed and then 2-3 minutes at medium speed.  The dough will be very soft and almost sticky.

Knead by hand on a floured board for a few minutes until the dough is soft and supple.  Add as little flour as possible during kneading.  The end result will not feel like your usual bread dough. It will be very stringy, moist, and supple.  Put it in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled in bulk (about 1 1/4 hours).

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and cut into 8 pieces. Pull each piece gently into a rectangle about 8" long and 1/2 inch thick.  Roll each one up the long way and put each piece on a well floured piece of parchment paper, with the seam from rolling the dough on top.  Cover with damp towel and let rise until doubled in bulk (or a little longer -- about 2 hours). (They will rise further in the oven.)

Preheat oven with baking stone or tile in place to 425 F for at least half an hour.  Sprinkle corn meal on baking stone and invert each loaf onto the tile, removing the parchment paper.  Bake for 20 -30 minutes, spraying the oven with water every three minutes for the first 9 minutes.   Cool on a rack and enjoy!

Back

Home