Description
This is the starter for my co-worker Chris Murphy's celebrated Biga Bread.
A biga is a sort of sourdough with a completely different flavor and texture. You can read about biga at Wikipedia.
Yield
1 starter
Preparation time
5 minutes
Ingredients
28 oz Bread Flour
2 c Water (tepid)
1⁄8 t Yeast (active dry)
Instructions
Start your biga the day before you plan to bake the bread.
Mix flour, water, and yeast. The water should be close to room temperature. Since the biga is relatively dry, mixing is a little tough. Wetting your fingers in water helps (don't flour your hands at this stage); make a cutting motion with your fingers through the ingredients. After cutting a few times, grab the dough and fold it over itself. Combining these two methods for a few minutes will mix the dough well.