BIGA AND POOLISH: WHAT ARE THEY FOR?

Biga and Poolish are pre-fermented starters used for a particular method of preparing leavened doughs called the Indirect Method. This technique consists of preparing the pre-ferment and adding other ingredients to complete the recipe. This method’s advantage is that you can obtain much more tasty and fragrant baked products with the added benefit of being more digestible.

BIGA AND POOLISH ARE SIMILAR BUT NOT EQUAL

The first difference to remember when talking about Poolish and Biga is that the first is a LIQUID starter; in contrast, the second is a SOLID dough. This means the proportions between water and flour and their function are different! A liquid dough ferments faster, with the same amount of yeast, than a solid one. Therefore, the advantage of using Poolish is that it has a shorter fermentation time than the Biga. Moreover, Poolish, when preparing homemade bread, will produce greater crispness and smaller but regular air bubbles (alveoli). 

On the contrary, Biga requires a longer ripening time (about 12/16 hours). Still, you will be repaid for the unmistakable aroma you will find in freshly baked bread. Moreover, unlike Poolish, Biga’s bread will have more irregular alveoli and a more remarkable development during baking. The taste will be less “sour” than Poolish’s bread.

HOW TO PREPARE A BIGA

Remember that preparing an excellent biga takes 16 to 48 hours. Depending on the fermentation time, you may have a Quick Biga fermented for 16 / 20 hours or a Long Biga when its fermentation reaches 36 / 48 hours (but requires more control of temperatures).

In general, a classic recipe for making Biga is:

• Bread Flour (containing 14% to 16% of proteins)
• Water: 44% of the flour weight
• Fresh Yeast: 1% of the flour weight
• Salt: 0.5% of the flour weight, only during warm seasons

The final temperature of the Biga must be around 18°C (64°F) – 20°C (68°F). If the dough is colder, it will take longer to ferment. On the other hand, if it is too hot, it will ferment too fast. It will also develop an excessive (lactic) acidity, which could compromise the recipe (the final dough will be very sticky and difficult to knead).

The secret to making a good biga is to:

• Use the right type of Flour: Use BREAD Flour, which is more suitable for long fermentation than all-purpose flour (the one for cakes).
• Respect the temperature of the dough, the water, and the fermentation.

WHAT ARE THE KEY FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE TEMPERATURE OF THE BIGA?

WATER TEMPERATURE

People often use water, which is too hot to make the Biga. To get an indication of the correct water temperature, you can refer to this empirical formula:

Water Temp = 55 – Room Temp – Flour Temp

For example, with a Room Temp of 20°C (68°F) and a Flour Temp of 18°C (64°F), the water should be at 55-20-18= 17°C (62°F)

* * This formula only works with °C. You can apply the formula with °C and convert the result to °F **

KNEADING PROCESS

Another factor that influences the quality of the Biga is the kneading process. To make a good Biga, you must knead the ingredients for the time needed to get a rough dough. If you over-knead the Biga, the dough will get warmer and ferment much faster. In this case, the Biga won’t develop the characteristic aromas.

FERMENTATION TEMPERATURE

As a general reference, keep in mind that 18°C (64°F) – 19°C (66°F) is the ideal range for fermenting Biga. However, we have 2 distinct cases:

• For a SHORT-FERMENTED Biga fermented for 16-20 hours, the ideal temperature is about 18°C (64°F)
• For a LONG-FERMENTED Biga fermented for 36 to 48 hours, you first have to ferment the Biga in the refrigerator at +4°C (39°F) for about 12/24 hours. Then, you can complete the fermentation at 18°C (64°F) for the last 24 hours.

OTHER “SEASONAL” CORRECTIONS

Depending on the season, we can make small corrections to the biga recipe to achieve a perfect result.

In summer (with a room temperature above 25°C, 77°F), we can slow down fermentation by

• Reducing the fresh yeast to 0.7% of the flour’s weight
• Adding 0.5% of salt to the flour’s weight 

In winter, on the contrary, we can promote fermentation by

• Increasing the amount of water to about 50% of the flour’s weight
• Increasing the fresh yeast to 1.1% (only if the room temperature falls below 15°C, 59°F)

THE BIGA WITH SOURDOUGH

Why not combine these two baking stars? It’s unbelievable, but Sourdough and Biga can be an excellent combination. If used together, each will bring its qualities to the finished product. To prepare the Biga with Sourdough, feed the starter (at least 2 refreshments will be necessary) and then prepare the Biga with these proportions.

• Bread Flour (containing 14% to 16% of proteins) – e.g. 1kg
• Water: 50% of the flour’s weight – e.g., 500gr
• Ripe Sourdough starter on the fed 2 times: 25% of the flour’s weight – eg.250gr

Once ready, you can let the Biga ferment at room temperature (about 20°C, 68°F) for 10 hours or soak it in cold water (about 18°C, 64°F) for 12 hours. 

With this last method, you will get a less acidic biga.

HOW MUCH BIGA TO USE IN THE DOUGH?

The answer to this question depends on many factors (the recipe, the flour used, etc.). Just think for a moment about the countless variations of the pizza recipe! I suggest starting with these proportions, evaluating the result, and then revising them accordingly (depending on your taste).

 If you use a SHORT Biga with 16 hours of fermentation, you can use it with a proportion between 30% and 50% of the flour’s weight in the recipe. For example, on 1kg of flour in a pizza recipe, you will use 300gr to 500gr to prepare the Biga and add the rest to the final dough. If you prefer a LONG Biga (with a longer fermentation), I suggest staying around 20% to 25% of the flour’s weight.

WHAT ABOUT THE POOLISH?

Unlike Biga, Poolish is a liquid preferment in which the proportions of the ingredients are:

• Bread Flour (containing 14% to 16% of proteins)
• Water: Same weight as flour
• Fresh Yeast: Varies according to fermentation time

We can have a more or less quick poolish depending on the quantity of fresh yeast used.

For example:

• Poolish ready in 2 hours >> 3% of fresh yeast on flour’s weight
• Poolish ready in 4 hours >> We will put 1.5% fresh yeast on the flour’s weight.
• Poolish ready in 8 hours >> We will put 0.75% fresh yeast on the flour’s weight.
• Poolish is ready in 12 hours.>> We will use 0.2% fresh yeast on the flour’s weight.
• Poolish ready in 18 hours >> We will use 0.1% fresh yeast on the flour’s weight.

The Poolish will be ready when the starter stops to rise (and it has reached its maximum development), and you can notice a slight dip in the middle of the bowl.

The final temperature is critical and must be about 23°C (73°F). Thus, the water’s temperature is a primary factor that achieves this result.

Water Temp = 70 – Room Temp – Flour Temp

Let’s consider a room temperature of 20°C (68°F), and the flour temperature of 18°C (64°F), the water to use has to be at 70-20-18= 32°C (89°F)

** This formula only works with °C. You can apply the formula with °C and convert the result to °F **

HOW MUCH POOLISH TO USE IN THE DOUGH?

Depending on the recipe, you can use a percentage of Poolish from 20% to 40% of the total flour’s weight (from 1kg of flour to make bread, you can use 200gr to 400gr for Poolish, the rest for the final dough). 

Remember that Poolish will give the bread a typically sour taste (which not everyone likes), so I suggest you do not exceed its quantity. 

For the same reason, the longer the Poolish’s fermentation is, the less quantity will be used in the recipe. A poolish with 8 hours of fermentation used at 30% of the flour’s weight is a successful solution… But I let you try!

TO CONCLUDE

Biga and Poolish are simple preferments, but equally simple factors in their preparation can distinguish between a successful recipe and a big fail. There are many factors to consider, as you’ve seen, and no one says it will be easy, but I think it’s worth a try! I am sure that with these tricks, which I have learned from the chef Master P.Giorilli, you will surely succeed!