For the biga
½ small cake (0.6oz) fresh yeast
½ cup warm water
1 cup bread flour
For the dough
1 small cake (0.6oz) fresh yeast
1 tsp sugar
1½ cups warm water
7 tbsp biga (see below)
3 tbsp olive oil
4 cups bread flo
1To make the biga, or starter, crumble the yeast into the warm water and
add the flour. Mix together until you have a thick batter. Cover with a damp
cloth, and leave at room temperature to ferment for at least 6 hours or overnight.
The biga may separate in this period of time; simply stir it back together. (To keep
your biga going, feed with a bit of warm water and flour each day, and mix
together, or simply mix in a small offcut from the fresh dough.)
2To make the dough, mix the yeast and the sugar, and break up with a
teaspoon until you have a smooth paste. Whisk this into the warm water
with the biga and the olive oil. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl, and mix in the
yeast liquid. Mix together until you form a dough. Turn onto a floured board, and
knead vigorously for 12–15 minutes until the dough is shiny and elastic. It should
be springy to the touch.
3Lightly flour a bowl and place the ball of dough in it. Cover and leave in a
warm place until it has doubled in size, about 1½ hours.
Two types of bread To make a simple loaf, flour a baking tray and shape the
dough on the tray. Allow to prove for 10 minutes. Bake in a preheated 425°F
(220°C) oven for 25–35 minutes until golden, depending on the size and depth
of the loaf. It is ready when the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
Alternatively, take pieces of dough about the size of tennis balls and flatten until
½in (1cm) thick. Heat a splash of olive oil in a heavy pan over medium-high heat.
Cook the rounds one at a time for 2–3 minutes on one side until golden. Turn
over and cook for 2 more minutes on the other side. Sprinkle with salt and
drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil. Eat piping hot.
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