Title: Tuscan Saltless Bread
Categories: Bread, Italian
Yield: 1 Loaf
MMMMM----------------------------BIGA---------------------------------
150 ml Water; warm
1 tb Active dry yeast
115 g Plain unbleached flour;
-warmed *
MMMMM------------------------BREAD DOUGH-----------------------------
200 ml Water; warm, (approximate) *
400 g Plain unbleached flour;
-warmed *, plus extra, for
-kneading and shaping
To make the biga, pour the warm water into a medium bowl and whisk in
the years until dissolved, then gradually whisk in all the flour to
form a smooth loose batter.
Transfer the biga to a large bowl and whisk in the warm water. Now
mix in the flour gradually until you have a pliable, firm dough (err
on the soft side rather than have it too firm). Gather it together in
the bowl, making sure all the flour is kneaded in. Lift out onto a
clean floured work surface and knead for 10 minutes. The dough will
be a bit stickier than normal, so keep flouring your hands, but not
the table or the dough as you don't want to change the proportions.
When the dough begins to become very elastic, it is ready to shape.
With one hand, pull the outside edge towards the middle, turning the
dough as you go round to form a ball. Flip over onto some flour then
pull gently to form a rough rectangle. Flip this over again onto a
floured baking sheet so that the rough side is uppermost. Cover with
a large upturned bowl and leave to rise until almost doubled - about
1-1/2 hours.
Put a roasting tin of hot water on the base of a preheated oven. Bake
the loaf at 200°C / 400°F for 35-40 minutes until it sounds hollow
when tapped on the underside. Cool on a wire rack. The bread will
freeze for up to 3 months.
Note:
Warm means blood temperature. You should be able to hold your finger
in the water without any pain. Warming the flour speeds up the
reaction of the yeast.
Recipe by Flavours of Tuscany by Maxine Clark, 2006
