Biove Piemontesi

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Kitchen scale (weight measurements are not optional for bread)
• •Large mixing bowl
• •Baking stone or heavy inverted sheet pan
• •Razor blade or sharp knife for scoring
• •Metal pan for steam

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the biga

   The night before you bake, combine the flour, cool water, and yeast for the biga in a medium bowl. Mix with your hands until no dry flour remains. The mixture will be shaggy and stiff, more like a dough than a batter. Cover tightly and leave at cool room temperature (65-70°F) for 12 to 16 hours. When ready, the biga will have tripled in size and smell pleasantly yeasty and slightly alcoholic.

   The biga builds flavor that no amount of fresh yeast can replicate. This overnight fermentation is not optional. It is the difference between bread that sustains and bread that merely fills.
2. 2

   Mix the dough

   Tear the biga into rough pieces and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the room temperature water and squeeze the biga through your fingers until it dissolves into the water. It need not be perfectly smooth. Add the flour, salt, and yeast. Mix with your hand, rotating the bowl, until a shaggy dough forms. There should be no dry flour visible.

3. 3

   Knead the dough

   Turn the dough onto an unfloured surface. Knead by pressing the heel of your hand into the dough, pushing forward, then folding it back over itself. Continue for 10 to 12 minutes. The dough will transform from rough and sticky to smooth and elastic. When you poke it, it should spring back slowly. If your hands stick, wet them slightly. Do not add flour. The stickiness is correct.

   Piedmontese bakers work with wetter doughs than most home bakers expect. Resist the temptation to add flour. The moisture creates the open crumb and crisp crust that define these rolls.
4. 4

   First rise

   Shape the dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic or a damp towel. Let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. The dough is ready when a floured finger pressed into it leaves an impression that fills in slowly.

5. 5

   Divide and pre-shape

   Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 8 equal pieces, approximately 100g each. Use a scale. Uneven rolls bake unevenly. Shape each piece into a rough ball by pulling the edges underneath and pinching them together. Let these rounds rest, covered with a towel, for 15 minutes. This relaxation makes the final shaping possible.

6. 6

   Shape the biove

   Working with one ball at a time, flatten it gently with your palm. Fold the top edge down to the center and press to seal. Fold the bottom edge up to meet it and seal again. You have created a cylinder. Now roll it under your palms, applying more pressure at the ends than the center, until it forms a tapered oval about 15 centimeters long. The shape should resemble a small boat, thicker in the middle and pointed at the ends. This is the biova.

   The name biova likely derives from an old word for boat. The tapered shape is essential. It creates the characteristic ears at each end that become deeply caramelized and crunchy.
7. 7

   Second rise

   Place the shaped rolls on parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving at least 8 centimeters between them. Cover loosely with oiled plastic or a damp towel. Let rise until nearly doubled, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. The rolls are ready when they hold a slight impression when pressed gently.

8. 8

   Prepare the oven

   While the rolls complete their rise, set a rack in the center of your oven and place a baking stone or inverted sheet pan on it. Place an empty metal pan on the lowest rack. Heat the oven to 450°F (230°C) for at least 30 minutes. The oven and stone must be thoroughly heated.

9. 9

   Score and bake

   Using a sharp blade or razor, make one decisive slash down the length of each roll, about 1/2 centimeter deep. The cut should run from pointed end to pointed end. Do not hesitate or the blade will drag. Slide the parchment with the rolls onto the hot stone. Immediately pour 1 cup of hot water into the pan on the lower rack and close the oven door quickly. The steam creates the crackling crust.

   The slash is not decoration. It controls where the bread expands, creating the distinctive split that runs the length of the biova. A sharp blade and confident motion are essential.
10. 10

    Finish baking

    Bake for 10 minutes with the steam, then carefully remove the water pan. Continue baking until the rolls are deeply golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom, about 12 to 15 minutes more. The crust should be substantial, almost aggressive. Pale rolls are undercooked rolls. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for at least 20 minutes before eating. The interior continues to set as it cools.

Chef Tips

• •Bread flour with 12-13% protein is essential. All-purpose flour lacks the strength to develop proper gluten structure, and the rolls will be flat and dense. Italian tipo 0 or Manitoba flour works beautifully if you can find it.
• •The biga timing is forgiving. Anywhere from 12 to 16 hours produces excellent results. If your kitchen is warm, use cooler water and check it earlier. If your kitchen is cold, it may need the full 16 hours.
• •These rolls stale quickly because they contain no fat. Eat them the day they are baked, or freeze them immediately after cooling. Reheat frozen rolls directly in a 400°F oven for 8 minutes.

Advance Preparation

• •The biga must be made 12 to 16 hours before you plan to bake. This is the only advance preparation that improves the bread.
• •Shaped rolls can be refrigerated overnight after their second rise. Bake directly from cold, adding 3 to 5 minutes to the baking time.
• •Baked rolls freeze well for up to one month. Cool completely before wrapping tightly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 roll (about 90g)