Pizza and Bread from a BIGA, conventional AND Gluten Free! by Ric Orlando

Ric Orlando Recipes

“Biga” or almost Sourdough pizza and Bread

Scroll down for the gluten free version!

Biga Pizza

This makes two 8-10 inch puffy crust pies

Light, puffy edges, crispy bottom and a little char brings out the best in Pizza

There are two schools of Pizza Passion in America. One group is all about the toppings. The dough could be cardboard, but if the toppings are yummy, the dough is just a vehcile for filling that “Pie Hole”. The other school is a little more passionate about quality food. In that world, a proper crust is king. That is my school. I love great crust! I will eat any pizza, but truly only LOVE pizza where the passion is in the dough.

Let me tell you about how to make the best dough, a cold fermeted, wild starter dough. And that start's with a BIGA!

A biga is a starter made from loose dough from the day before. It is one of the many ingenuities of the “Piatti Povere” or plates of poverty from Italy. And of course we all know the ingenuity of those without wealth has created some of the world's most delicious and iconic foods, like pizza of course.

Think of this as a process that takes a day but then is there when you need it forever. Think of this as a lifestyle process. You can have fresh bread and pizza whenever you want, once the biga is alive. I start my biga on Monday morning, make my dough Monday night and eat my pizza or bread Tuesday, when I start another batch. The cool thing about the cold fermentation is that the dough can stay in the fridge, cold proofing for up to 5 days. It will just be better. On top of that, slowly fermented dough is much healthier, too. The long development of the proteins in the wheat make for a more digestible protein. You may be hot on synthesized pea protein, but slow fermented dough is the original Plant Protein that has sustained millions of people through generations. 

My recipe is a little unconventional and loosy-goosy. This shouldn’t be high stress. Rocket scientists get all geeked out about dough, but Nonna’s have been making it for centuries without a recipe. These are basic guidelines.

PS: I like to use whole wheat for the Biga starter because it contains natural airborne yeasts as well and it will get a better flavor over time.

BIGA RECIPE

3 ingredients, water and patience!

1 teaspoon dry active yeast 

1 cup warm 105-110 degree water ( filtered or bottled, avoid chlorinated water) 

1 cup whole wheat flour 

Stir this together well  in a mason jar or plastic container.  Cover loosely and put it on the back of the counter to come to life. In a a few hours you will see bubbles. That is the stuff! 

Add back a little flour and water every day,. about 1/4 cup of each (at this point, adding white flour is fine). You can build this baby for up to a week but it's usable after the first day. If you don't plan to use it for a few days, refrigerate it until ready to use.  

Basic Slow Fermented Home Pizza in a cast iron pan.

A cast iron pan is easy and convenient, but a pizza stone or cast iron griddle works just as well.

Makes 2 10 inch pies

Coarse semolina or cornmeal for dusting your stone or pan.

Weigh 20 oz "00" or unbleached All purpose flour

1 tsp salt

16 oz tepid water
1/3 cup Biga

Put in the bowl of the mixer and mix slowly for about 5 minutes.

You can also do this by hand. 

Remove the dough to a lightly floured board and knead for 5 more minutes. The dough will be sticky, so flour your hands as well. (Now you know why pizza makers wear white!) 

Brush a bowl big enough to fit the dough x 3 with a very thin coating of olive oil. Form a ball and place in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. 

Leave the dough on the counter for at least 4 hours or until it is almost double in volume. Then put it in the fridge overnight or up to three days. This process is called cold fermentation. 

When you are ready to make your pies make sure your oven and stone or cast iron pan or griddle are heated to at least 550, You can also cook this on an outdoor gas grill. Crank it up with your stone or griddle in it and close the lid. After about 15 minutes the interior temp should reach the mid 700s.

Remove the dough from refrigeration and let it come to room temperature.

It should look like this.

Sprinkle flour on your work surface and your hands and begin to form your pizza using your hands. It doesn’t have to be perfectly round.

 If you have a rectangular griddle for instance, make an oval. The famous Sally’s Pizza is known for making Amoeba shaped pies.

When your pie is formed, carefully remove your cast iron skillet from the oven, sprinkle a little cornmeal on it to coat the bottom, and slide the dough into it, reforming as desired. . add a thin layer of sauce and toppings, don’t over do it or you will have soggy pizza. 

Cook for 3-5 minutes or until the top has some burned spots and the dough, bubbles,  puffs and blisters.

A little bitter char makes the cheese, tomatoes and the dough taste sweeter, that’s the rule.

Enjoy. 

 A Fine Simple Loaf of Bread

Use your biga for an amazing loaf of bread, Start a new batch every day, (it only takes about 5 minutes) and get it proofing! The slow proofing is what makes it magic and healthier.

Makes one nice loaf

20 oz unbleached white flour

4 oz biga starter

1 heaping tablespoon salt

14 oz water

Knead well

Put thisin an oiled bowl , cover with plastic wrap and leave it out 24 hours. If you want to refrigerate it and let it cold proof another day, it will be better. But you will get the feel of it and decide for yourself. I make dough in the morning, let it sit out till dinner time, and then put it in the fridge overnight.

I turn on the oven and pull the dough out when i wake up. I pan it up to let it start the second rise.

Then I make coffee.

Then I feed my starter.

Then I whip up the next days dough. Then I finally bake today's loaf.

How to do it.

Sprinkle a cast iron skillet with a little cornmeal. (it doesn't have to be hot, like it does when you make pzza)  

Form the dough into a ball into a round loaf cast iron skillet .

Let proof again on the back of the stove while the oven warms for at least 20 minutes or up to 40.

Cut a few slits in the top to prevent it from exploding when it bakes.

Brush with olive and and sprinkle generously with kosher or coarse sea salt.

Bake  at 375 convection or 400 conventional for 30-35 minutes. 

Mist/Spray with a little water every 10 minutes while baking for a crispy crust.

Gluten Free Sourdough Loaf.
The technique pretty much same
EXCEPT you'll be using my gluten free baking mix recipe
AND your dough will very wet, almost like a batter.
AND you should bake it in a lightly oiled loaf pan since it is loose.
Cooking time is about the 20 minutes longer (about 50 minutes) than the conventional loaf, but test for doneness with a toothpick to be sure. Poke it in deep into the center, if it comes out dry, the bread is done.

I've made this with commercial GF baking mix with mixed results. The best is Bob's Red Mill one-to-one mix.

MY GF Flour Mix

2 cups brown rice flour (see note 1)

1 cup white sweet white rice flour (see note 2)

1/2 cup tapioca flower

½ cup potato  starch

2 tsp xanathan gum

Note 1. If you don't have brown rice flour ( it's available at all health food and natural grocers) simply grind brown rice in a BLENDER until it is completely powdered.

Note 2. Sweet white rice a.k.a. glutenous rice does not contain gluten. It is just really starchy and really helps make a good crumb. It's is available as flour (elephant brand, green label) in Asian markets. If you can't get it try grinding Arborio rice i a blender to a flour. . It is twice as starchy are regular white rice, but only half as starchy as sweet white rice.

Make the biga just as with conventional flour, substituting this GF mix. Do it exactly the same.

When your Biga is happy and bubbly, make a batch of dough. Do this in a mixer as there is no need t knead ( no need to KNEAD!! LOL)

GF DOUGH RECIPE DAY ONE

Weigh 16 oz GF flour

2 tsp salt

1/2 cup GF BIGA

12 oz water.

Mix until smooth. Pour into a lightly oiled bowl with enough room for the dough to expand x 3.

Cover with plastic wrap and let proof at least 8 hours at room temperature.

READY TO FINISH? LET"S DO IT!

Preheat oven to 350

Brush an 8 inch loaf pan with oil

Finish your GF Dough like this

4 oz warm 105 degree water

1 tsp sugar or honey

1/2 tsp yeast or 1 tbls BIGA

one egg (not essential but it helps)

Stir the yeast and sugar into the warm water and put in on the back of the stove until it foams, about 5-7 minutes.

When it foams, return your dough to a mixer and mix in this foamy yeast solution. If you are using the egg, mix it in until is disappears into the dough completely.

Pout this batter into the loaf pan.

Bake for about 45-50 minutes or until dry in the center.

tumble it out!

When it is done, remove it from the pan and allow to cool on a rack before slicing ( I know you are tempted but it is best to wait for the interior steam to settle down before cutting in and releasing it.

Unlike regular bread, I advise you to wrap this loaf in plastic wrap until ready to slice.

Want to make a Cast Iron Pan PIZZA?
Same dough, different trick-!
preheat oven to 550.
Use this same dough/batter as above WITHOUT THE EGG for a yummy hot cast iron skillet pizza.
Heat your skillet well. Spray with nonstick spray and sprinkle a little cornmeal into the pan to prevent sticking and to add some toasty flavor as it darkens.
Pour in the batter and Cook on one side for 5 minute, remove from oven and carefully turn it over. Now add your toppings and bake 5 more minutes or until you are happy!

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