Basic Italian Bread Recipe

How to make it

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• For the biga:
• Combine flour, yeast and water in large bowl and beat it with a wooden spoon, you can also put it in the mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
• You will beat it with a spoon until it looks shaggy or mix on lowest speed until it forms a shaggy dough, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Shaggy as described by my DH means it looks like the white paste we used to use in grade school.
• It will look dry, this is normal.
• Transfer biga to a large oiled bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap.
• Let stand at room temperature until the biga has risen and is filled with little bubbles. This will take anywhere from 3 hours to overnight.
• You can refrigerate for 8 to 24 hours, the longer you let is sit, the better the flavor.
• For the dough:
• Remove biga from the refrigerator and let set at room temperature for about an hour.
• Put the warm water and yeast in a clean bowl.
• Using your hands, shred the biga into the water. Just put it in the water and squish away until it becomes one with the water.
• Add half of the flour and salt then knead on lowest speed until a rough dough is formed, about 3 minutes.
• Turn mixer off and, without removing bowl or dough hook, cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes.
• Add the rest of the flour and need about 4 minutes or until the dough comes together and clears the sides of the bowl.
• Transfer dough to a large, oiled bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise in a cool, draft-free spot away from direct sunlight until slightly risen, about 1 hour.
• Remove plastic wrap and turn the dough by first sliding a curved plastic bench scraper or flexible spatula underneath, then gently lifting and folding one third of dough toward center. Do the same with the opposite side of dough. Then fold the dough in half, perpendicular to the first folds. Dough should be shaped into a rough square if folded correctly. Replace plastic wrap and let dough rise 1 more hour. Fold again as described above. Replace plastic wrap and let rise 1 more hour.
• To shape the dough:
• Dust work surface liberally with flour.
• Gently scrape the dough out of the bowl and invert onto the work surface so that the side which was on the top is now on the bottom.
• Dust the dough and hands with flour.
• Using minimal pressure, push the dough into a rough 8 to 10 inch square. Fold the top left corner diagonally to the middle.
• Repeat with the top right corner.
• Gently roll the dough from the top peak to the bottom until it forms a rough log.
• Place the seam on the bottom and transfer to parchment paper.
• Start tucking the bottom edges underneath, working from the center to the ends, and gently stretch the dough until it is about a 16-inch long football-type shape.
• Dust top liberally with flour and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 500° F.
• To bake:
• Using a lame or a very sharp knife, cut a slit 1/2-inch deep lengthwise into the center top of the dough, starting and ending 1-1/2 inches from the ends.
• Using a spray bottle, spray the loaf lightly with water.
• Slide the parchment paper with the loaf onto a cookie sheet that has been lightly greased and liberally sprinkled with corn meal, then into the oven.
• Bake for 10 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 400° and quickly rotate the pan 180°. Continue to bake until a deep golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 210°, about 35 minutes longer.
• Cool to room temperature before slicing.