Wintering here in upstate New York, the snowdrifts pile up to the stop signs and the temperatures lately have been too cold to let the kids play outside.  We hibernate indoors, slippers, sweaters and lessons.  By the wood stove, a bowl of delicious dough soaks up warmth.  Fresh warm bread from the oven, sliced thick with butter is comfort food, warmth to belly and heart.

Here is one of my favorite ways to prepare the dough, with an Italian bread starter called biga.  Biga adds a wonderful texture and taste to your homemade bread, reminiscent of sourdough starter, but without all the work.

In a small mixing bowl, mix together 1/4 tsp. yeast, 1 cup warm water, and 2 cups of organic unbleached white flour. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for baking day. This is your biga. If you cannot use it within 24 hours, then refrigerate the biga.

The next day, it will have this fabulous amazingly stretchy texture that makes you want to just mix and play with it. Tearing or cutting the biga into small pieces will allow it to blend evenly into your dough.

  • Add to the biga 1/2 tsp yeast, 2 cups of warm water, and 1 tablespoon of salt.
  • Mix in 4-5 cups flour (I have used unbleached white, white wheat, or a combination of both) to make a tacky but not sticky dough. Use a bit of dough enhancer  (vital wheat gluten) if you are simply using whole wheat flour. It greatly helps the rising. Knead thoroughly and set aside in a greased bowl to double in size. It takes an hour or so for a good rise in a warm place. Plenty of time to straighten the cupboards, wash the counters and read a book to a little one.
  • Turn out the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape it into two loaves. Be certain that your bread pans are well greased or alternately bake in round loaves on a cookie sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Let the dough rise until doubled. Preheat your oven to 475 and, right before placing the loaf pans into the oven, turn it down to 400.

Bake for 40-45 minutes. Let the bread rest in the pans for ten minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack. Bread made with a biga starter has a wonderful chewy texture, slices fantastically (not at all crumbly) and stores well. Pass around those thick buttered slices and join me in thanking God that winter does not last forever.

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