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Why Biga pre-dough is good for your bread

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Anyone who knows me knows that baking bread is one of my favorite things to do in the kitchen. Today I would like to show you how you can easily bake your own delicious spelled bread with a pre-dough. Homemade bread not only tastes incredibly good, but you also know exactly what’s in it. Plus, it’s often cheaper than store-bought bread, especially when it comes to organic bread. And best of all: you always have fresh bread whenever you need it. Let’s get started – baking your own bread really isn’t difficult!

Why baking your own bread is simply better

A freshly baked loaf of bread with a crispy crust on a wooden board.
Crispy crust and juicy and soft inside.

Baking your own bread has many advantages. Not only is it cheaper than organic bread from the store, but it’s always fresh when you need it. You can choose the ingredients according to your preferences and adapt them to your needs. Plus, baking bread is just fun and fills your home with a wonderful smell!

The ingredients – quality makes the difference

For a really good spelled bread you need:

  • Spelled flour (Type 630, 1050 or whole grain)
  • Lukewarm water
  • Salt
  • dry yeast

Pay particular attention to the quality of the flour. I prefer to use organic spelled flour type 1050. It is not only delicious, but also very healthy. It contains lots of fiber, vitamins and minerals that are good for your digestion and general well-being.

Choosing the right yeast – dry yeast vs. fresh yeast

An important aspect of baking bread is the choice of yeast. I prefer to use dry yeast. Why? It is simply more practical in everyday life. Dry yeast does not need to be dissolved in liquid beforehand and can be mixed directly with the dry ingredients. It has a long shelf life and delivers consistent results. Especially if you, like me, have twins and don’t always find a lot of time to bake, dry yeast is a great option. By the way, I buy my yeast directly from the bakery and I’ve had very good experiences with that.

Fresh yeast, on the other hand, has a shorter shelf life and must be activated before use. Some bakers swear by the better taste and higher rising power of fresh yeast, but for me the practical advantages of dry yeast outweigh the disadvantages.

My tip: Try out both variants and decide for yourself which one you like better. For beginners, I recommend starting with dry yeast as it is easier to handle.

A sliced ​​spelled bread with a golden brown crust and soft crumb.
Bake delicious spelled bread yourself.

The secret of the perfect bread: the Biga pre-dough

Now comes my absolute insider tip for an irresistible bread: the Biga pre-dough. Biga is an Italian pre-dough made from flour, water and a small amount of yeast. It’s super easy to make. You mix all the ingredients together and let it rise overnight before adding it to the main dough.

Why should you definitely try Biga? It’s simple: the pre-dough not only improves the taste but also the consistency of the bread enormously. It gives it a more intense flavor, a fluffier texture and a crispier crust. The long fermentation time develops complex flavors that take your bread to a whole new level. In addition, the bread becomes more digestible and stays fresh longer.

Make Biga

To make a biga, mix the night before:

  • 250g spelled flour type 1050
  • 120ml lukewarm water (around 27°C)
  • 1 pinch of yeast.

Let this mixture sit at room temperature overnight. The Biga not only adds more flavor, but also improves the structure of the bread. Try it out, it’s worth it.

The steps of baking bread: dough in a bowl, risen dough, dough in the proofing basket and baked bread in the cast iron pot.
Step-by-step instructions for baking your own bread

Step by step to the perfect bread

Baking your own bread isn’t difficult, and here’s how it works:

  • Prepare Biga the evening before: Mix 250 g type 1050 spelled flour, 120 ml water (around 27°C) and a pinch of yeast and let the dough rest, covered, at room temperature overnight (at least 10 hours).
  • Prepare the ingredients for the main dough: Carefully weigh out all the ingredients for the main dough. For the spelled bread, in addition to the prepared Biga, you also need 250g spelled flour, 180-200 ml lukewarm water (around 38°C), 10 g salt and 3 g dry yeast.
  • Knead dough: First mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl and then add the water and the biga. Knead the dough vigorously for at least 10 minutes. Kneading is important for developing the gluten that gives your bread structure. Alternatively, place all ingredients in a food processor.
  • First fermentation phase: Cover the bowl and let the dough rise at room temperature for a total of three hours. The dough should roughly double in size during this time. During the first 1.5 hours, fold the dough three times. The short video shows you how it works.

This is how you fold the bread

  • Shape dough: After three hours, knead the dough briefly again, then place it in a well-floured proving basket or back in the bowl.
  • Second fermentation phase: Let the shaped dough rise again for about 30-45 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven with a fireproof pot/casserole dish: Place a fireproof pot or casserole dish with a lid in the oven and preheat it to 220°C top and bottom heat for about 30 minutes.
  • Bake: After the proofing time, place the dough on baking paper and then into the container. Be careful, it’s very hot. Bake the bread for about 30 minutes with the lid closed and then another 15-20 minutes without the lid until golden brown. If you tap the bottom of the bread and it sounds hollow, then it is ready.
  • Cool: Allow the bread to cool completely on a rack before cutting. This allows the moisture to be evenly distributed inside.

Bake your own bread with these tips and tricks

  • Temperature is important: Yeast works best at 27-29°C. So make sure that all ingredients are at room temperature.
  • Dose salt correctly: Make sure you use enough salt. Too little of it makes the bread bland.
  • have patience: Give your starter and main dough enough time to rise. This not only improves the taste but also the texture enormously.
  • Knock test: Tap on the bottom of the bread – if it sounds hollow, it’s ready.
  • Allow to cool sufficiently: After baking, let the bread cool thoroughly before cutting it.
  • Try it out: Experiment with different types of flour. They all taste a little different. Vary your bread with seeds, nuts or dried fruits.
Bake your own bread, a freshly baked bread in a cast iron pot, surrounded by baking paper.
Freshly baked bread in a cast iron pot.

Conclusion: Baking bread yourself is not difficult

Baking your own bread may seem a little intimidating at first, but with a little practice you’ll quickly become a pro. Experiment with different types of flour and ingredients and find what you like best. The most important thing is that you have fun! I hope this post inspired you to bake your own bread. Do you have any questions or would you like to share your own experiences? Then let me know in the comments! Thank you very much and enjoy your meal.

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Description

Don’t let the long time put you off, most of it is waiting and baking. So, baking your own bread isn’t difficult – flour, water, salt, yeast, a little planning and patience, that’s all it takes. With the tips and tricks you can now prepare the perfect spelled bread with pre-dough.



Biga pre-dough (the evening before)

  1. Mix all the ingredients for the pre-dough together and let the dough rest, covered, at room temperature overnight (at least 10 hours).

Prepare main dough

  1. Weigh out all the ingredients for the main dough. First, place the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix them together. Then add 180 ml of water and the Biga pre-dough. Knead the dough vigorously for at least 10 minutes. If the dough is too stiff, add water a spoonful at a time so that the dough is easy to knead. Alternatively, put all the ingredients in a food processor and let it do all the work.
  2. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise at room temperature for at least three hours. The dough should approximately double in size during this time. During the first 1.5 hours, fold the dough three times. The short video shows you how it works.
  3. After about three hours, knead the dough briefly again, then place it in a well-floured proving basket or back in the bowl. Let it rest for about 30-45 minutes.
  4. In the meantime, place a fireproof container (cast iron pot or casserole dish) with a lid in the cold oven and preheat the oven to 220 °C top and bottom heat for at least 30 minutes.
  5. After the proofing time, place the dough on baking paper, remove the lid from the container and then carefully place the dough on the baking paper into the container. Be really careful, it’s really hot. Place the lid on the container in the oven and bake the bread for about 30 minutes with the lid closed. Then remove the lid and bake the bread uncovered for another 15-20 minutes until golden brown. If you tap the bottom of the bread and it sounds hollow, then it is ready.
  6. After the bread is finished baking, let it cool down. This allows the heat and moisture to be evenly distributed inside.

Notes

TIP 1: Yeast works best at 27-29°C. So make sure that all ingredients are at room temperature.

TIP 2: Make sure you use enough salt. Too little of it makes the bread bland.

TIP 3: Give your starter and main dough enough time to rise. This not only improves the taste but also the texture enormously.

TIP 4: Tap on the bottom of the bread – if it sounds hollow, it’s ready.

TIP 5: After baking, let the bread cool thoroughly before cutting it.

TIP 6: Experiment with different types of flour. They all taste a little different. Vary your bread with seeds, nuts or dried fruits.

  • Preparation: 10 mins
  • Resting main dough: 60 mins
  • Cook: 45 mins
  • Category: Bread with pre-dough
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: International

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