Fresh, warm, crusty bread is a treat you should allow yourself every now and then. You don’t need to be the best baker to make good bread, but you do need to choose the right method!
The indirect method, compared with other methods, gives you bread that is crusty, light and very easy to digest thanks to its very long rising times, and it also stays fresh for many more days than other baked goods.
How does the indirect method work?
The indirect method, unlike the direct method, in which all the ingredients are mixed together in a single stage, involves two separate stages: preparing the biga and preparing the final dough.
Stage 1: preparing the biga
The biga, a key element of the indirect method for bread making, is a pre-ferment made from flour, water and baker’s yeast. This mixture is left to ferment for 8 to 24 hours before being incorporated into the final dough (fermentation can even be extended to 48 hours, the first 24 in the fridge at 4 °C and the following 24 at 18–20 °C).
The biga is made with strong flours with a W value above 300: bigas mixed with weaker flours may not withstand the long fermentation times because of their persistent enzyme activity.
But why use a biga? The long fermentation of this pre-ferment develops acidity and a range of aromas that significantly improve the flavour of the final bread. What’s more, the biga helps give the crumb a softer, more open structure, which also improves the product’s shelf life and digestibility.
Basic biga recipe
- 500 g flour W 300 (100%)
- 220 g cold water (44%)
- 5 g yeast (1%)
Preparing the biga is simple, but it needs to be done with care and attention. Compared with ordinary bread doughs, the biga’s mixing time is very short (2–4 minutes) and the goal is a rough, lumpy consistency.
It is therefore essential to respect the mixing times, because:
- Over-mixed bigas mature early, owing to the high heat build-up and overly rapid fermentation by the yeast;
- Under-mixed bigas develop excessive surface crusting, caused by the reduced mixing time and poor water absorption: often they do not mature at all but spoil, because the yeast cells fail to multiply;
- Bigas mixed with a water percentage above 50% mature sooner than expected, because the higher moisture inside them further stimulates the fermentation process.
The alternative to biga: poolish
The poolish is the opposite of the biga: while the biga is a very dry dough, the poolish is highly hydrated. In this preparation the water matches the flour in quantity, while the amount of yeast stays more or less the same.
The poolish produces a more extensible dough, with a finer, more even crumb structure than the biga, a crispier crust and a slightly tangier flavour.
Basic poolish recipe
- 350 g flour W300 (100%)
- 350 g water (100%)
- 8 g yeast (2.5%)
The ratio of yeast quantity to fermentation time is inversely proportional: the more yeast you use, the shorter the fermentation time. For example: 1–2 hours of fermentation = 2.5–3% yeast; 4–5 hours = 1.5%; 7–8 hours = 0.5%; 10–12 hours = 0.2%; 15–18 hours = 0.1%.
You can tell the poolish has fermented just right when a slight dip forms in the centre and its aroma is not too sharp.
Stage 2: preparing the final dough
- Add the ripened pre-ferment to the remaining ingredients (flour, water, salt, etc.).
- Mix all the ingredients together until you have a smooth, homogeneous dough.
- Leave the final dough to rise before baking.
Bread with biga (pane zoccoletto)
Biga pre-ferment (16–18 HOURS)
- Flour W300 - 250 g
- Durum wheat semolina flour - 250 g
- Water - 250 g
- Yeast - 5 g
- Biga mixing time: 4 minutes (on speed 1 in a stand mixer)
Final dough ingredients:
- Biga
- Semolina flour 50 g
- Water (70% of total flour) 135 g
- Yeast 1 g
- Malt 2.5 g
- Salt 11 g
- Mixing time: 5 minutes on speed 1 + 8 minutes on speed 3. Final dough temperature: 26 °C
Method
- Prepare the biga and mix it with the other ingredients: set aside the salt, which you will add at the start of the second speed, and 20% of the water, to be added drop by drop after the salt.
- Leave the dough to rest in a lightly oiled container for about 40 minutes.
- Gently turn the dough out onto a well-floured worktop and divide it into small pieces: once baked, these will be your loaves.
- Place the pieces of dough on well-floured boards, cut side up.
- Cover them and leave them to rise for 35–40 minutes, depending on the room temperature. Turn them over gently and stretch the pieces slightly.
- Bake at 240 °C, with both the oven and the baking tray preheated.
Baguette-style loaves with poolish
Poolish pre-ferment (4–5 HOURS)
- Flour W300 - 160 g
- Water - 160 g
- Yeast - 2.5 g
- Poolish mixing time: 4 minutes on speed 2. Final poolish temperature: 23 °C
Final dough ingredients:
- Poolish
- Medium-strength flour (W260) 640 g
- Water 336 g
- Yeast 11 g
- Salt 17 g
- Mixing time: 3 minutes on speed 1 + 8 minutes on speed 3. Final dough temperature: 24 °C
Method
- Prepare the poolish by dissolving the yeast in the water.
- Add the flour and leave to ferment, well covered, until the centre begins to dip.
- Mix the poolish with the other ingredients, except for the salt, to be added halfway through mixing, and 10% of the water, to be added drop by drop right after the salt.
- Leave the dough to rest for about 10 minutes, then divide it into 7 pieces of 189 g each. Try to shape each one into a short baguette-style loaf.
- Cover them and, after 25–30 minutes, stretch the loaves to 30 cm. Then place them in a lightly floured cloth and leave them to rise for another 45–50 minutes.
- Arrange the loaves on a baking tray, make 3 shallow diagonal cuts just under the surface and spray the tops with water. Now put the loaves into an oven preheated to 240 °C for 20–25 minutes, opening a small gap in the oven door to let them dry out during the last 5–10 minutes of baking.
We have reached the end of this very long — but very tasty — article. Now it’s your turn to get your hands dirty and start baking: we can’t wait to see how you decide to enjoy your freshly baked bread!
