* Exported from MasterCook *
Bread, Rustic Italian
Recipe By :
Serving Size : 10 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Bread Bread-Bakers Mailing List
Italian Low Fat
Posted Stand Mixer
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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Biga
11 ounces bread flour -- (2C)
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
8 ounces water -- room temperature (1C)
Dough
16 1/2 ounces bread flour -- plus extra for dusting (3C)
1 teaspoon instant yeast
10 2/3 ounces water -- room temperature (1 1/3C)
2 teaspoons table salt
For a rustic Italian bread recipe with a chewy but tender crumb,
crusty but not tough, we used bread flour, which gave our bread
height and a thick crust. Biga (a traditional Italian pre-ferment)
mixed the day before gave the bread a wheaty, multidimensional
flavor. A mixing technique called autolyse developed the dough's
protein while reducing kneading time.
This recipe requires a standing mixer to make the dough, a
spray-bottle filled with water for spritzing, a rectangular baking
stone, and an instant-read thermometer for gauging doneness. It also
requires a bit of patience - the biga, which gives the bread flavor,
must be made 11 to 27 hours before the dough is made.
For the biga: Combine flour, yeast, and water in bowl of standing
mixer fitted with dough hook. Knead on lowest speed (stir on
KitchenAid) until it forms a shaggy dough, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer
biga to medium bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let stand
at room temperature until beginning to bubble and rise, about 3
hours. Refrigerate biga at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.
For the dough: Remove biga from refrigerator and let stand at room
temperature while making dough. Combine flour, yeast, and water in
bowl of standing mixer fitted with dough hook; knead on lowest speed
until rough dough is formed, about 3 minutes. Turn mixer off and,
without removing dough hook or bowl from mixer, cover bowl loosely
with plastic wrap; let dough rest 20 minutes.
Remove plastic wrap, add biga and salt to bowl, and continue to knead
on lowest speed until ingredients are incorporated and dough is
formed (dough should clear sides of bowl but stick to very bottom),
about 4 minutes. Increase mixer speed to low (speed 2 on KitchenAid)
and continue to knead until dough forms a more cohesive ball, about 1
minute. Transfer dough to large bowl (at least 3 times dough's size)
and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in cool,
draft-free spot away from direct sunlight, until slightly risen and
puffy, about 1 hour.
Remove plastic wrap and, following illustrations from "Step by Step:
Turning the Dough", turn dough. Replace plastic wrap; let dough rise
1 hour. Turn dough again, replace plastic wrap, and let dough rise 1
hour longer.
Dust work surface liberally with flour. Gently scrape and invert
dough out of bowl onto work surface (side of dough that was against
bowl should now be facing up). Dust dough and hands liberally with
flour and, using minimal pressure, push dough into rough 8- to 10"
square. Following illustrations from "Step by Step: Shaping the
Loaf", shape dough and transfer to large sheet parchment paper. Dust
loaf liberally with flour and cover loosely with plastic wrap; let
loaf rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, adjust oven
rack to lower-middle position, place baking stone on rack, and heat
oven to 500F.
Using a lame, single-edged razor blade, or sharp chef's knife, cut
slit 1/2" deep lengthwise along top of loaf, starting and stopping
about 1 1/2" from ends; spray loaf lightly with water. Slide
parchment sheet with loaf onto baker's peel or upside-down baking
sheet, then slide parchment with loaf onto hot baking stone in oven.
Bake 10 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 400F and quickly
spin loaf around using edges of parchment; continue to bake until
deep golden brown and instant-read thermometer inserted into center
of loaf registers 210F, about 35 minutes longer. Transfer to wire
rack, discard parchment, and cool loaf to room temperature, about 2 hours.
Cal 283, Fat 1g, Carb 56g, Sod 305mg, Fiber 2g, Pro 9g
Review: This may be my favorite bread. One time I wanted it our of
the oven in the early afternoon, so I started making the biga early
in the morning of the first day. In the evening I mixed the dough and
let it take the first rise overnight. I started at 7:00 the next
morning. I folded the dough, and let it rise 2 hours, then proceeded
as usual. I took it out of the oven at 12:20 PM. I imagine almost any
of the rises could be done overnight.
Review: I've baked this many times in the past five months and have
been consistently impressed with this bread. Because the loaf, as
written, produces a battleship-sized loaf I now divide the dough into
two 640 gram balls, give them a gentle bottom-tuck kneading, and
place them in separate bowls for the folding procedure. The result is
two 16 inch loaves. I've seen questions about cups to weights. The
weights are accurate: 11 ounces (312 grams) for the biga, 16 1/2
ounces (468 grams) for the dough.
Review: I've made this bread twice. Second time I split the recipe
and shaped two loaves. Baked as directed in recipe. Great results.
Review: CI determined that bread flour weighs 5.5 oz/cup...they have
been using that standard for years.
Review: I tried this tonight and this is a solid recipe for a
rustic-style bread. It had a nice crust that was simultaneously
crispy and chewy. The crum was moist, tender, and rustic. I weighed
all my ingredients and used KA bread flour and SAF instant yeast so I
was surprised (not really, because this is a lot of flour) that my
loaf was around 24 inches rather than the 16 inches described. It
barely fit diagonally on my large bread stone. I'll make this again
but divide it into two loaves when it comes out of the mixer.
Review: Some of the best bread I ever made. Freezes well, too.
Question: Could I use my sourdough starter in place of the biga?
Response: Yes, but you'll need to adjust the recipe based on the
hydration of your starter. I.e., if your starter feed is equal parts
starter/water/flour when feeding you'll want to start adding a higher
ratio of flour a couple feedings before you want to make the recipe.
Question: Can this be split to make two smaller loaves of bread?
Response: Yes--I halved the recipe (water for dough is 5 oz + 2
teaspoons). When shaping, I formed a ~5 inch square then rolled to an
~11 inch football. Baking times were 9 mins @ 500 and 25 mins @ 400,
using an upside down baking sheet instead of a stone, which brought
me to an interior temp of 210. Finished loaf was darker than you may
like, so recommend reducing time @ 500 by a minute or two and
increasing the remaining time as needed. It also came out flatter
(~4" high x 6" wide) and with less of a defined slit on top than I
would have liked, but that was probably due more to my technique than
an effect of halving the recipe.
S(Internet address):
https://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/5-rustic-italian-bread
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 283 Calories; 1g Fat (4.3%
calories from fat); 10g Protein; 57g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary
Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 468mg Sodium. Exchanges: 4 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat.
NOTES : 2019 - 0808