Ingredients
Method
For the Biga
- Combine the water, flour, and pinch of yeast into a container with a lid. Mix until a stiff mixture forms. You may not be able to fully incorporate all the flour as it is quite stiff, and that is ok.
- Cover, and let rest at room temperature for at least 12 hours. You can refrigerate it after the 12 hours for an additional 12 hours if your schedule needs to be adjusted.
For the Dough Mix
- Hand Mixing: In a mixing bowl, combine the biga and water into a bowl and squeeze until it breaks apart and starts to get absorbed by the water. Add the salt and mix until it dissolves.
- Hand Mixing: Add the flour and squeeze the dough until there is no dry flour left. Once the mixture comes together, turn out onto your countertop and knead with your palm pushing out and your fingers pulling back in. Knead for 10 minutes to ensure you develop the dough properly.
- Machine Mixing: I am currently using the Ooni Halo Pro spiral mixer, but if you are using another mixer or even a small planetary with a dough hook, this process will work the similarly.
- Machine Mixing: Combine the water and biga into the mixing bowl and mix on low speed until the biga starts breaking apart.
- Machine Mixing: Add the salt and keep on low speed until it dissolves. Proceed to add the flour, one scoopful at a time, and increase the speed of the mixer to about 25%.
- Machine Mixing: Once all of the flour is incorporated, bump up the speed of your mixer to about 45% and let the dough mix until it is completely smoothed out and there is no dry flour on the side or bottom of the mixing bowl. It should take between 7-10 minutes to fully form.
- After your dough is mixed, let it rest, covered, for 45 minutes on your counter top.
- Divide the dough into 250 gram pieces and place into your dough container.
- Refrigerate for AT LEAST 48 HOURS.
- The day you want to make pizza, make sure the dough comes up to temperature. That means, let it rest on your counter until it is no longer cold and is naturally stretchy to the touch.
- This dough works best if you liberally use semolina on your work surface. It can be used to cook pizza at low or high temperatures to great effect.
- If using a pizza steel in your home oven, preheat your oven as high as it goes for about an hour. I love using this dough with my Ooni Karu 2 Pro with wood fire. I get the stone to about 700 degrees before loading and have a total cook time of just a couple of minutes.
- To cook a pizza, stretch out your dough in a big pile of semolina flour. Top with whatever it is you want to use, and use a perforated or wooden peel to load the pizza into the oven. Cook until you reach your desired color.
- If you need to freeze this dough, it would be best to store each dough individually in a half deli container.