Rosemary Filone Bread

The tale of the biga is a long one. I’m hoping it will continue to grow longer and longer as I (and all of the other biga owners out there) bake many more loaves of bread. This weekend I decided to investigate a book that has gone neglected for far too long on our bookshelves. We received Local Breads from a friend over two years ago. I never used it because most of the recipes in it require the use of a pre-ferment (otherwise known as a biga). It’s no secret that I don’t like to plan ahead so the idea of starting a pre-ferment the day before never held much sway for me. Especially since Tall Grass Bakery makes such wonderful breads. 

But now that we’ve loved and cared for our very own biga, we want to use it. A neglected biga is opportunity unsiezed. A biga is meant to be used. It lives so we can enjoy fresh baked bread easily and regularly. 

In addition to trying to bake more bread, I’m also trying to embrace my Italian roots. I’m taking an Italian class, and one of these days maybe I’ll even be able to write a whole post in Italian. But in the meantime, I’ll settle for being able to bake Italian style breads. This particular bread is from Tuscany. 

While a stand mixer is helpful when baking bread, I’ve actually been kneading my breads by hand recently. There’s something truly satisfying about feeling the dough come together under my hands. The dough transforms from sticky clumps to a soft, supple, and elastic ball. It warms under my hands and I can almost feel it living and breathing. While I could produce a perfectly acceptable dough with a mixer, I wouldn’t experience the satisfaction of knowing that I created this perfect thing with my own hands. 

This bread is so moist and delicious it doesn't even need butter

When you knead this dough, look for the time whne the dough can actually be stretched into a window. Knead for a while (7 or 8 minutes) and then pinch off a golf ball sized piece of dough. Roll it into a ball and then, using your fingers, gently stretch the center of the dough. Stretch it until it becomes so thin that you can practically see through it. If the dough tears before that point, it’s not ready yet. Knead the little ball back into the dough and knead for another three or four minutes. Repeat until you can form that window without tearing the dough. 

Rosemary Filone, from Local Breads 

• 1/2 cup biga
• Water and flour to mix the biga and make the pre-ferment (see notes)
• 10.6 oz of water (1.33 cups)
• 1 tsp yeast
• 17.6 oz (3.25 cups) unbleached all purpose flour
• 2.3 oz (1/3 cup) olive oil
• 0.4 oz (1/4 cup) chopped rosemary
• 0.5 oz (2.25 tsp) sea salt

Prep Work 

The night before you want to bake, mix the biga. Mix four tablespoons of water in with your biga. Stir with a spoon until the biga breaks up a bit. Now mix in the flour until the biga is the consistency of a stiff dough. Turn the biga onto a floured counter and knead for 5 minutes. Transfer to a lightly oiled mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Leave the bowl at room temperature for an hour and then refrigerate overnight. 

Make the dough 

The biga mixture should be soft and a little bubbly after a night in the fridge. Separate out 3.5 ounces of the biga mixture and use that for the dough.

1. Mix in the water and break up the 3.5 ounces of biga with a spatula.
2. Next mix in yeast.
3. Add the flour, olive oil, rosemary, and sea salt.
4. Once the dough starts to come together, turn it out onto a floured surface.
5. Knead for 13-15 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
6. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and cover with a lid or plastic wrap.
7. When the dough has doubled in size, transfer it to a floured counter.
8. Divide it into two equal pieces and shape it into slightly rounded logs.
9. Place on a baking peel, covered with floured parchment paper.
10. Preheat the oven to 400 and place a pizza stone on the center rack.
11. Cover the loaves with plastic wrap and let rise for one hour.
12. After one hour, transfer the loaves on the parchment paper to the stone and bake for 30-40 minutes.
13. Cool and slice.
14. Store for 3-4 days.

Sliced and ready to eat

Notes: I’ve rarely found a bread that I didn’t like. This bread, however, was particularly good. The olive oil keeps it very moist and the crust is substantial without being too tough to bite through. I loved the bits of rosemary scattered throughout the bread. You don’t slash these loaves before baking, nor do you need to spritz the oven with water. So the recipe is incredibly easy. As long as you have the time to let the dough rise, you’ll have a beautiful light bread.

If you don’t have a biga, you can still make this bread. The night before baking, mix one packet of yeast with 1/2 cup tepid water and let stand for 5 minutes. Mix in enough flour to form a dough and follow the instructions above for proofing and resting. You’ll need 3.5 oz of biga mixture for the dough.