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Biga Baker
http://cookaholics.org/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=2275		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  Tunaoue [ Sun May 20, 2012 4:39 pm ]
Post subject:  Biga Baker
A poor attempt on words; biga meaning beginning. Hence me, the beginner baker.

I've read some of the baking books (well parts thereof)and perused through Amy's brief yet informative tutorial. I can follow the recipes and make the preferment dough, wait over night or refrigerate for a day and do the main dough thing later. I don't mind since I've got a load of time on my hands and cooking (includes baking) is a creative hobby.

To the point: I don't understand what a biga does that an extra rising cycle couldn't do. Why the little batch and then combine with another later? Why not just punch it down and re-knead for a third proofing instead? Some adjustments can be made, that's minor details, but the general concept is (to this novice) a bit weird in an unnecessary-step kind of way.

I don't mind doing it, but it helps to understand why.

My attempts are improving (I think), check it out;
Image
I made two loaves, this is the prettier of the two.
The SLASHING was an attempt to mimic a style I saw on a Nancy Silverton video.
One got eaten fairly quickly the other went stale but made awesome base for baked sausage stuffing.

For what it's worth, Rose Levy Beranbaum and Peter Reinhart are good reads.
(Is it just me, or are there a generous amount of Jewish bakers?)
Author:  jim262 [ Sun May 20, 2012 7:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Biga Baker
There are a lot of holes in the unified theory of bread baking, but there is a consensus that much of the flavor in lean, four ingredient bread comes from the by-products of the fermentation simple sugar into alcohol and possibly 200 other compounds by yeast.

Fermentation is an anaerobic activity and it is not the only yeast activity that provides hot air to the loaf. In the minutes and possibly hours after a mix while there is Oxygen available in the dough, the yeast will produce plenty of carbon dioxide by aerobic respiration where the yeast turns glucose molecules into water and carbon dioxide. C6H12O6 + 6O2 --> 6CO2 + 6H2O. Very little, if any, flavor is added by this reaction, but your bread is proofed in an hour or so.

After the O2 has been used up in parts of the bread, the yeast will begin anaerobic fermentation to produce alcohol and carbon dioxide from glucose. C6H12O6 -->2C2H5OH + 2CO2.

What is not shown in either reaction is the activity of enzymes that produce glucose from long chain starches or the further activity that will turn the ethanol into other flavor enhancing compounds.

I believe that quick rising, generously yeasted, direct dough can be completed with little to no fermentation taking place. A preferment that rests at least over night or 24 hours is a reliable way to assure the presence of fermentation by-products that will improve flavor.

I suspect that if you retard the whole loaf as is common in sourdough, you can attain the same end result as using a preferment. I also question how much flavor improvement will come from a very short sponge preferment.

Julia Child was a fan of a third rise in her French dough-possibly for the very reason you are considering it. It has fallen out of favor in recent years. My guess is that concern that yeast will run out of food and stop gassing is the cause.
Author:  TheFuzzy [ Sun May 20, 2012 8:31 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Biga Baker
Tunaroe,

That's a very nice loaf! In fact, if I didn't know you made it, I'd have assumed you got it from Semifreddi's, it looks just like one of theirs. Nice work.

And of course bread bakers are Jewish. Nu? You going to eat something? This bread, I baked it with my own hands, you don't like it?
Author:  BeckyH [ Sun May 20, 2012 9:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Biga Baker
The development of dried yeast is relatively recent. For centuries, a preferment was the only way to get yeast into your dough. If you start with a small amount of flour, you can get a hyperactive yeast colony going, which will then push your other dough along much faster. Many bakers add a leviain, or chunk of old dough, to their breads to improve flavor and rising times. also, letting the dough sit, very wet, promotes the formation of gluten (think of the 5 minute a day recipes), so the continuation of your dough will also have better texture.
In the end, bakers have played with the mix of fermentation, gluten and oven heat in pretty much every conceivable combination, and some stuff just works. It's a mystery.
Author:  marygott [ Mon May 21, 2012 12:09 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Biga Baker
Gorgeous bread! I recently saw liquid yeast at the store. Any ideas on that?

Mary
Author:  Tunaoue [ Mon May 21, 2012 2:04 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Biga Baker
jim262 wrote:
Julia Child was a fan of a third rise in her French dough-possibly for the very reason you are considering it. It has fallen out of favor in recent years. My guess is that concern that yeast will run out of food and stop gassing is the cause.

I've played around with the third rise IDEA several times, but only practiced it once. I don't think the yeast will starve for food until the loaf becomes expired of flour. In my mind, lack of oxygen is the reason fermentation slows so drastically and is why re-kneading revitalizes the fermentation process. It's like turning the ground (i.e.; plowing) to re-introduce nitrogen into the soil.

Sometimes I wonder if baking styles are hinged to old traditions. I can imagine back in ancient times having a master batch of starter because it was probably difficult to recreate a good strain of yeast, so the tradition of having a starter (aka; biga) carried over. It also carried the hard-earned flavor with it. This is all speculation on my part.

At this time I'm trying to gain more experience, so I follow written recipes and try to achieve what I think are the intended results. Sandwich bread loaves are a snap, I'm doing classic baguettes pretty good now; nice and chewy and a better bready flavor, but they take a couple days to prep and I use a HOT cast iron skillet and pour boiling hot water in it to create steam in the oven.

Probably I wouldn't care about bread, except my wife and I once went on vacation to Europe. We mostly tooled around the north of France and through Belgium. Every day was in a different town, and every morning in every hotel they had a WONDERFUL display of fresh warm breads. These people take bread very seriously, you don't get that good without passion.

I want to make bread like that.
Author:  Tunaoue [ Mon May 21, 2012 2:17 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Biga Baker
TheFuzzy wrote:
That's a very nice loaf! In fact, if I didn't know you made it, I'd have assumed you got it from Semifreddi's, it looks just like one of theirs. Nice work.

And of course bread bakers are Jewish. Nu? You going to eat something? This bread, I baked it with my own hands, you don't like it?

I've never heard of Semifreddi's, must be in downtown S.F.?
Image
Their slash is straight in (radially), where I was attempting a straight with offset angle to create a "flap". My other loaf was kind-of mangled in this area.

Thanks for the compliment.
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