Dessert & Baked Goods » Italian Bread
Print RecipeIngredients
Biga
- 1¾ cups bread flour
- ¼ tsp instant yeast
- 8-10 oz water
Dough
- 3 ¾ cups bread flour
- 10 ½ oz water
- 1 tsp instant yeast
- 2 tsp salt
- biga
- flour for dusting
Special Equipment
- standing mixer
- nonstick cooking spray
How-to
Make Biga
- In a large bowl, add all ingredients for the biga and mix by hand until a rough, shaggy dough forms. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to rest overnight at room temperature
- In a standing mixer with dough hook attached, add all ingredients and mix starting on low speed, slowly incresing to medium speed until a smooth dough forms, about 7-8 minutes
- Remove the dough from mixing bowl and place it in a large bowl sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and cover with plastic wrap
- Let dough rise for an hour at room temperature, covered with a lightly-dampened towel
- Place dough on a flour-dusted table. Punch down the dough and dust with flour
- Fold the left and right side of the dough into the center and roll twice from top to the bottom
- Return the dough to the sprayed bowl, cover and let it rise for another hour at room temperature
- Turn the dough again, cover and let it rest and rise for another hour at room temperature
- Cut the dough into 3-4 pieces and shape the loaves
- Preheat the oven to 450°
- Starting from the bottom of the dough, use your fingers to tuck and roll the bottom toward the center of the dough. Seal the seam by pinching them together
- Once loaves are shaped allow them to rise for 45-60 minutes
- Using a spray bottle or a pastry brush, baste loaves with water to ensure a crust
- Using a sharp knife, gently slash the loaves into desired patterns
- Bake until a golden brown exterior forms, about 30-40 minutes. For an extra crispy crust, pour additional water into the bottom of the hot oven during the baking time. You can also alternate the pans from top to bottom after about 15-20 minutes so the bottom loaves get some color from the top heat (this step may also vary depending on the oven)
ColleenResendes
As a young girl growing up in Southeastern Massachusetts, Colleen found enjoyment in the simplicity of making someone happy with the food that you make. Some of her fondest and most peaceful memories are of herself and her sister pouring through her grandmother's old cookbooks finding recipes that they couldn't wait to make. Colleen's passion and love continue today as the pastry chef of Montione's Bakery in Norton, MA. She is also currently taking classes to become a registered dietician, so that she can help people through nutrition and food.
There really is nothing better than freshly-baked bread. Colleen Resendes of Montione's Bakery gives us the "loaf-down" on a classic: Italian Bread! She begins by making something called a "biga" — a pre-ferment often used in Italian baking. This is then mixed in with the rest of the ingredients the following day for a flavorful, textured, and airy final product. You can't have Italian bread without a biga. Fuhgitaboutit.
Colleen Resendes
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