- 1 1/4 cups [310 mL] biga [starter dough]
- 2 1/2 teaspoons [7.5 g] active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup [125 mL] warm water
- 1 tablespoon [15 mL] olive oil
- 2 tablespoons [30 mL] freshly sliced mushrooms
- 3 tablespoons [45 mL] canned tomatoes with juice
- 1 small drained anchovy fillet
- 1 tablespoon [15 mL] drained capers
- 6 small chopped cocktail onions
- 2 tablespoons [30 mL] finely chopped artichoke heart
- 3 drained Gherkins pickles
- 2 roasted red peppers
- 1 tablespoon [15 mL] dried oregano
- 2 1/4 cups [315 g] + 1/2 to 2/3 cup [70 to 90 g] unbleached all-purpose flour [more as neeeded]
- 1 teaspoon [5 L] salt
- 3/4 teaspoon [3.75 mL] cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoons [30 g] lard
- Flour
- Cornmeal
- Water
Biga [Starter Dough]
- 3/4 cup [190 mL] warm water [105 to 115°F / 40 to 46°C]
- 1 teaspoon [2.5 g] active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 cups [375 mL] cool water
- 4 cups [1 L] unbleached bread flour
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- Refrigerate biga until cold.
- Into a small bowl, stir active dry yeast into warm water ; let stand until creamy, for approximately 10 minutes.
- Heat olive olive and briefly brown mushroom slices; leave to cool.
- Into a food processor fietted with the steel blade, roughly chop together tomatoes, cooled mushroom slices with drained anchovy fillet, capers, cocktail onions, artichoke, pickles, and roasted red peppers.
- Transfer into a clean bowl; reserve.
- Process together oregano, 2 1/4 cups [315 g] flour, salt, and pepper with 5 or 6 pulses to mix.
- Place cold starter dough and lard over dry ingredients.
- With the machine running, pour dissolved yeast through the feed tube as quickly as the flour can absorb it.
- Add reserved vegetable mixture and process just until combined.
- Finish kneading by hand on a well-floured surface, sprinkling dough with 1/2 to 2/3 cup [70 to 90 g] additional flour as needed, until elastic, moist, and velvety.
- For the first rise, place dough into an oiled bowl, cover bowl with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled in bulk, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
- For shaping and second rise, shape dough onto a floured surface into 1 large or 2 smaller round loaves by rolling dough first into a taut log, then shaping it into a round loaf.
- Dough will be slightly sticky; sprinkle dough and work surface with flour while shaping it.
- Transfer each loaf onto a surface sprinkled with cornmeal, cover with a slightly dampened towel, and let rise until doubled in bulk, for approximately 50 minutes.
- Thirty [30] minutes before baking, preheat oven, with baking stones in it, to 425°F [220°C].
- Just before baking, cut an even slash around the shoulder of the loaf or loaves,, or 3 slashes across the top using a razor blade.
- Sprinkle the stones with cornmeal and slide the loaf or loaves onto the stones.
- Bake, spraying 3 times with water in the first 10 minutes, for 45 minutes.
- Cool on racks.
Biga [Starter Dough]
- Pour warm water into a glass measuring cup; sprinkle yeast over water and let stand for 15 minutes, until foamy.
- Into a large bowl, combine dissolved yeast and cool water.
- Using a wooden spoon, gradually beat in flour to get a smooth, elastic dough.
- Cover with plastic wrap; let stand at room temperature 24 hours before using.
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