Ingredientes
- Biga:
- ½ Teas. Active Dry Yeast
- 1 Cup Lukewarm water
- 2 Cups Unbleached, All−purpose Flour
- Mix the yeast and water together, and then slowly start adding the
- flour, mixing well. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room
- temperature for up to 6 hours. Refrigerate overnight.
- Bread:
- 2 Cups Warm Water (about 90 degrees F.)
- 1 Pkg. Active Dry Yeast
- 5−6 Cups All−purpose, Unbleached Flour
- 2 Ts. Salt
Preparação
- Place the water in a large bowl, sprinkle the yeast overtop and mix well.
- Let sit 10 minutes until bubbly. Add the biga, flour, and salt and stir with
- a wooden spoon (or mix with your hands) until everything is mixed. The dough
- will be fairly wet and sticky at this point. Cover and let stand in a warm
- spot for about 1 to 1½ hours until doubled in volume.
- Punch down the dough, folding it over on itself two or three times, cover
- and let rise once more until doubled, about 1 hour. If you choose, you could
- refrigerate your dough at this time and leave it overnight to prepare the
- next day.
- Turn out your dough onto a floured baking sheet, and without overworking it
- too much shape into one large or two smaller round or oval shaped loaves,
- using as much extra flour as needed to keep it from sticking. Slash across
- the tops of the loaves with a serrated knife or razor just prior to baking.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and place a casserole dish with boiling
- water on the lower oven rack. Bake your bread 30 minutes, turn the baking
- sheet around, and reduce the heat to 300 degrees and bake for another 30−45
- minutes. At this point your bread should be golden brown and should sound
- hollow when you tap the bottom. Allow the bread to cool to room temperature
- and serve.
