Italian Focaccia Loaves

Biga Starter

2 cups starch water at room temperature

1 ½ teaspoons of regular dried yeast

2 ½ cups unbleached all purpose flour

Starch water is water that has cooked pasta, potatoes or rice.  The yeast will have a head start with the starch water. Add the yeast to the water and dissolve. Then add in the flour and mix will. Let the biga sit at room temperature for two and one half hours. Make sure that the temperature of the proofing area is at least seventy degrees.

Then cover the biga and refrigerate overnight. The biga will last a couple of days.

The day you will be making the bread you will need to take the biga out in the morning.

Bring to room temperature.

12 ounces of starter

1 teaspoon of yeast

7 cups of flour

3 ½ teaspoons of salt

3 cups of starch water

Mix the starter, starch water and yeast until well incorporated. Then add salt and flour. Mix for fifteen minutes at medium speed with a hook attachment of a KitchenAid KSM150PSWH Artisan Series 5-Quart Mixer, White.

Dough will be wetter than you are use to. This is the secret of open holes and well developed bread. Let the dough proof for two hours. Again the temperature of the proofing room should be at least 70 degrees.

Then punch down the dough and shape into logs. The sides of the logs must be supported as the dough is very wet. I line the Fox Run 18 Inch x 2.75 Inch French Bread Pan with parchment paper covered with cooking spray. Proof the dough for one hour. Be sure to cover the dough with parchment paper covered with cooking spray.

You will then refrigerate the dough for eight hours.

Then preheat your oven to 400 degrees. At the bottom of your oven you will place a heat proof pan with boiling water. Then place the loaves in the oven and bake for 50 minutes. It is important to watch the loaves at this point as they can burn. I turn them every 15 minutes or so. During the last 10 minutes you will turn the loaves upside down to brown the bottom of the loaves.

This recipe makes three loaves.

The biga starter can be used for pizza!

You will just use the same recipe up to the point of shaping the loaves. Instead of shaping the dough into loaves, you will shape the dough into the desired pizza shape. I then let them rise for an hour or so.

 If you would like a lighter crust. You can use 00 four. Many fancy pizza places do.

The oven temperature should be at 425 degrees. You will prebake your pizza shells until light in color and well set.

You can then top your pizza and place it back in the oven. Or you can freeze the shells.