50% Whole Wheat Bread with Biga

Directions

• 1)

  MIX THE BIGA: The evening before you plan to bake, put the biga flour in a 6-quart round tub. Put the water in a separate container and put the yeast in a separate, small container. Add about 3 tablespoons of the water to the yeast. Let the mixture rest for a few minutes, then stir with your finger; the yeast may not be fully dissolved but you’ve given it a good start.

• 2)

  Pour the yeast mixture into the tub with the flour. Pour a few more tablespoons of the water into the yeast container, swirl it around to incorporate any remaining yeast, and dump it into the dough tub, along with the remaining warm water.

• 3)

  Mix by hand, using the pincer method alternating with folding the dough, just until all of the ingredients are incorporated. Cover and leave out overnight at room temperature. When fully mature, 12 to 14 hours later, the biga should be slightly domed, about tripled in volume, and pocked with gas bubbles and have a ripe smell of alcohol. At this point it’s ready to mix with the final dough.

• 4)

  MIX: Combine the final dough flour, salt, and yeast in a 12-quart round tub and mix by hand. Pour in the water and mix by hand just until incorporated. Add the biga, using your hand to ease it out of its container. Mix with a wet hand. Use the pincer method alternating with folding the dough to fully integrate the ingredients.

• 5)

  The target dough temperature at the end of the mix is 80°F. Cover the tub and let the dough rise.

• 6)

  FOLD: This dough needs three or four folds. For each one, fold the dough over itself 4-5 times, working around the dough until it has tightened into a ball, then grab the ball and invert it so the seam side is down. Complete this process two or three times, letting the dough relax and flatten after each inversion. It’s best to do this during the first 1 1/2 hours after mixing. After the last inversion, cover the dough and let it continue to rise at room temperature.

• 7)

  When the dough is about triple its original volume, 3 to 4 hours after mixing, it’s ready to be divided.

• 8)

  DIVIDE: Moderately flour a work surface and your hands and sprinkle a bit of flour around the edges of the tub. Tip the tub slightly and gently work your free hand beneath the dough to loosen it from the bottom of the tub. Ease the dough out onto the work surface in a somewhat even shape. Flour the dough in the middle and cut it into 2 equal-size loaves.

• 9)

  SHAPE: Dust 2 proofing baskets with flour. Shape each loaf by folding the dough over itself into a ball, inverting it onto an unfloured portion of counter and then gently sliding the ball along the counter from all sides to create a taut skin. Place each loaf seam side down in its proofing basket.

• 10)

  PROOF: Lightly flour the tops of the loaves and cover with a towel or plastic bag. Proof period is only about 1 hour. They are perfectly proofed and ready to bake when you poke a floured finger about 1/2 inch into the dough and it springs back slowly and incompletely.

• 11)

  PREHEAT: At least 45 minutes prior to baking, put your dutch ovens on the middle oven rack with their lids on. Preheat the oven to 475°F.

• 12)

  If you only have one dutch oven, put the second loaf into the fridge about 20 minutes before baking the first loaf and bake the loaves sequentially, giving the dutch oven a 5-minute reheat after removing the first loaf.

• 13)

  BAKE: Invert the proofed loaf onto a lightly floured countertop. Remove the dutch oven from the oven. Gently place the loaf in the hot dutch oven seam side up. Cover with lid and place back in oven.

• 14)

  Bake for 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake for 15-30 minutes more, until at least medium dark brown all around the loaf.

• 15)

  Remove from oven and carefully tilt the dutch over to turn the loaf out. Let it cool on a rack or set it on its side so air can circulate around it for at least 20 minutes before slicing.