I am looking for a recipe for ';Biga'; bread. It is an Italian peasant bread made with a quick ';starter';.

I lost my original copy that I copied from a friends bread cookbook. I can't remember the title of the book. This bread has a hard crust with soft center. The starter was flour, yeast, and water and had to sit for about 12 hours and then was ready to use. I don't remember much else other than this was really a great bread recipe.I am looking for a recipe for ';Biga'; bread. It is an Italian peasant bread made with a quick ';starter';.
Here is the recipe for the starter and the bread.





INGREDIENTS


1/8 teaspoon active dry yeast


2 tablespoons warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)


1/3 cup warm water


1 cup bread flour


1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast


2 tablespoons warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)


2/3 cup warm water


1 tablespoon olive oil


2 cups bread flour


1 1/2 teaspoons salt


DIRECTIONS


To Make Sponge: In a small bowl stir together 1/8 teaspoon of the yeast and the warm water and let stand 5 minutes, or until creamy. In a bowl stir together yeast mixture, 1/3 cup of the water, and 1cup of the bread flour. Stir 4 minutes, then over bowl with plastic wrap. Let sponge stand at cool room temperature for at least 12 hours and up to 1 day.


To Make Bread: In a small bowl stir together yeast and milk and let stand 5 minutes, or until creamy. In bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with dough hook blend together milk mixture, sponge, water, oil, and flour at low speed until flour is just moistened; add salt and mix until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Scrape dough into an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap.


Let dough rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours. (Dough will be sticky and full of air bubbles.) Turn dough out onto a well-floured work surface and cut in half. Cover loaves with a dampened kitchen towel. Let loaves rise at room temperature until almost doubled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. At least 45 minutes before baking put a baking stone on oven rack in lowest position in oven and preheat oven to 425 F (220 degrees C).


Transfer 1 loaf on its parchment to a rimless baking sheet with a long side of loaf parallel to far edge of baking sheet. Line up far edge of baking sheet with far edge of stone or tiles, and tilt baking sheet to slide loaf with parchment onto back half of stone or tiles. Transfer remaining loaf to front half of stone in a similar manner. Bake loaves 30 minutes, or until pale golden. Cool loaves on a wire rack.I am looking for a recipe for ';Biga'; bread. It is an Italian peasant bread made with a quick ';starter';.
1/2 cup sourdough starter


1/4 cup warm water


1 cup unbleached white flour





For 1 or 2 Sourdough


In medium bowl pour starter and warm water, mix until smooth. Add flour and beat until smooth, about 3 minutes, it will be quite stiff.


Oil a large, deep bowl, scrape biga into it, cover with oiled plastic wrap and let rise for 12 - 18 hours, it will likely rise up and then fall back in on itself.


--------------------------------------鈥?br>




You only need your first biga to get started. Then it is simply a matter of making bread at least once a week or so if you have refrigeration to keep the biga alive. If you don't have refrigeration, you would want to make bread every day and save a portion of the new dough you make each day as a starter for tomorrow's bread. Just take that portion BEFORE you add salt to the new bread dough. In this case, you would keep tomorrow's starter at room temperature. Below is a simple biga recipe. Use as you would a sourdough starter. For a rough guide, use approximately one cup of biga for a bread recipe calling for 7-8 cups of flour. For approximately 4 cups of Biga:


1/2 tsp. active dry yeast


1/4 cup warm water


1 and 1/2 cups water at room temperature


3 and 3/4 cups unbleached flour


Sprinkle yeast onto the 1/4 cup warm water and let stand approximately 10 minutes until creamy. Add rest of water, stir. Add flour, one cup at a time and stir. Mix with wooden spoon for approx. 4 minutes. Oil a bowl three times as large as the mixture's volume and scrape dough into that bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 8-24 hours in a cool room or until triple in volume. The longer it sits, the more character it develops. If you let it go too long, it will take on sour overtones similar to sourdough starter as a result of the acidic by-products of yeast metabolism. If the room is cool enough--60-65 deg.F, 24 hours will yield a nice, mellow-flavored biga.
I found this online sounds like what you might be looking for hope it helps.


You only need your first biga to get started. Then it is simply a matter of making bread at least once a week or so if you have refrigeration to keep the biga alive. If you don't have refrigeration, you would want to make bread every day and save a portion of the new dough you make each day as a starter for tomorrow's bread. Just take that portion BEFORE you add salt to the new bread dough. In this case, you would keep tomorrow's starter at room temperature. Below is a simple biga recipe. Use as you would a sourdough starter. For a rough guide, use approximately one cup of biga for a bread recipe calling for 7-8 cups of flour.





For approximately 4 cups of Biga:


1/2 tsp. active dry yeast


1/4 cup warm water


1 and 1/2 cups water at room temperature


3 and 3/4 cups unbleached flour


Sprinkle yeast onto the 1/4 cup warm water and let stand approximately 10 minutes until creamy. Add rest of water, stir. Add flour, one cup at a time and stir. Mix with wooden spoon for approx. 4 minutes. Oil a bowl three times as large as the mixture's volume and scrape dough into that bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 8-24 hours in a cool room or until triple in volume. The longer it sits, the more character it develops. If you let it go too long, it will take on sour overtones similar to sourdough starter as a result of the acidic by-products of yeast metabolism. If the room is cool enough--60-65 deg.F, 24 hours will yield a nice, mellow-flavored biga.


An excellent book with lots of recipes using biga cultures is ';The Italian Baker'; by Carol Field. ISBN 0-06-181266-8
INGREDIENTS





* 3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast


* 1/2 cup warm water


* 3 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour


* 1 1/4 cups cold water





DIRECTIONS





1. Place the warm water in a small bowl, and sprinkle the yeast over the top. Let stand until yeast has dissolved and is foamy, about 15 minutes.


2. Measure flour into a large bowl. Make a well in the center, and pour in the yeast mixture and cold water. Use a sturdy spoon to mix it together until sticky and difficult to stir, but nevertheless thoroughly combined. Cover and allow to ferment for 24 hours in the refrigerator before using.


3. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. To use, rinse a measuring cup in cool water, scoop out the amount of starter needed, and bring to room temperature.





number of stars
I saw these,maybe one is what you are seeking





http://www.recipehound.com/Recipes/4158.鈥?/a>





http://www.recipezaar.com/62058





http://biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser/Che鈥?/a>





http://recipes.epicurean.com/recipe/1024鈥?/a>