Go Back
Rustic bread with biga

Rustic Bread Recipe with Biga :The Best Homemade Artisan Bread Recipe

Rustic Bread recipe with Biga can be made with only 4 ingredients.This Crusty White Bread Recipe will help you make the best homemade artisan bread which has an amazing flavor and texture.
5 from 5 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Proofing Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 45 minutes
Course Breakfast, Side Dish
Cuisine American, British
Servings 1 Loaf of Artisan Rustic Bread

Ingredients
  

For making the Starter or Preferment

  • 320 g Flour
  • 224 ml Water
  • .1 g 2 Pinches of instant yeast 1/12 th tsp we can use the same amount of active dry yeast as well

For the Bread Dough

  • 80 g Flour
  • 56 ml Water
  • 7 g Salt
  • .8 g Yeast 1/4 tsp(insatnt or active dry yeast)

Instructions
 

Prepare the Biga

  • Into a bowl add in the water and 2 pinches of yeast.
    It is hard to weigh it and most easiest way of expressing this amount will be slightly less than 1/12 tsp
    Stir and dissolve it in water.
    Now add the flour and combine together to form a dough.
    Make sure there are no dry patches left behind.
    Cover the bowl with a cling film and let it sit and ferment overnight.
    We can use the biga or starter that’s been fermented anywhere between 10-16 hours(for the best results)

Prepare the Bread Dough

  • In a small bowl ,add the water ,yeast ,salt and flour.Mix and combine to form a shaggy mass of dough.
    Now incorporate this dough with the preferment.
    Make sure its combined well enough that there are no lumps left and it’s a homogenous dough.
    If you want to use a stand mixer you can use it at this point, which will make the process much easier.
    Now cover the dough and let it sit and rise.

First Proofing (2 hours)

  • During this Proofing time we need to strengthen the dough.
    For that we will do 1 round of “stretch and fold” in 45 minutes and then another “layering of dough sheet” in another 45 minutes
    After 45 minutes of proofing, let’s do stretching and folding the dough to strengthen the gluten in the dough.
    Just pull and stretch the dough and then fold it onto itself.Repeat the same on all four sides.
    Leave it to rise for another 45 minutes.
    Then again flip the dough on to a wet surface and stretch the dough to form a rectangular sheet of dough.
    Fold the dough from bottom and top 1/3 rd and then again fold it as shown in video.
    By now our dough has got a good texture.
    Transfer this dough onto a well greased container
    Now cover the dough and let it rise for another 30 minutes.

Shape the dough

  • Our bread dough has risen slightly and it is ready for shaping.
    Transfer the dough on to a well floured work surface and then shape it into a boule ” (round )or batard” (oblong)
    Place the shaped dough on to a bannettone or onto a rectangular loaf pan or a round bowl, lined with a well dusted(best to use gluten free flour like rice flour so that it will not stick to the dough) kitchen towel.
    Let the shaped bread dough sit and rise for 50 minutes in a warm environment and 50-60 minutes in a cold environment.
    After the final proofing, flip the dough on to a parchment paper.
    Dust off any excess flour on top.
    Score the bread with a sharp knife or blade or with a lame.
    Place this into the preheated oven dish or dutch oven.(We can use any oven proof dish with a proper lid.)
    Close the oven dish with it’s preheated lid.

Bake the No knead Rustic Bread

  • Baking temperature and duration
    Transfer the dough on to a well preheated dutch oven(250C)( I recommend an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is hot enough) and close the pot with an oven safe lid.
    We can use a Dutch oven which is best to use for making this type of artisan rustic breads.
    Take care not to burn yourself during this step as the dutch oven or oven dish is very hot.
    Bake the bread inside the hot dutch oven(480F or 250 C) for 18 minutes with the lid on.
    After 18 minutes of baking,remove the lid and Reduce the oven temperature to 230CF.
    And then bake for another 8-12 minutes without the lid (450 F or 230C) ,until the top of the bread is nice and deep golden brown.
    The more you bake at this point,the more crispy the crust become.
    This extra baking will give that outer crust of the bread to get a more crisp and caramelized golden brown color and a nutty flavor.
  • The bread is best when eaten fresh,when they are cooled but still slightly warm.
    It is chewy,so flavorful and has the perfect airy, soft texture.
    Enjoy!

Video

Keyword artisan bread recipe, bread with biga, bread with preferment, homemade artisan bread, Rustic Bread Recipe, rustic bread with biga