How to make biga for pizza
What biga is, how to mix it without kneading, how long to ferment it, and how to turn it into pizza dough.
Biga is an Italian pre-ferment: a stiff mix of flour, water and a little yeast, left to ferment before it becomes part of the final dough. It gives pizza dough more flavour, a softer and airier crumb, and those big, puffy crusts typical of contemporary Neapolitan pizza.
Biga in numbers
A typical biga is:
- Hydration: around 50%. That’s 500 g of water for 1 kg of flour, much drier than the final dough.
- Yeast: a small amount, around 0.3% fresh yeast for an 18–24 hour fermentation at 18°C.
- Share of the flour: anything from 30% to 100% of the recipe’s flour. Contemporary recipes, like those of Vincenzo Capuano, often put all the flour in the biga (100% biga).
The reference recipe behind this calculator is a 100% biga at 50% hydration, with 0.3% fresh yeast, fermented for 24 hours at 18°C.
Mixing: don’t knead
This is the part that surprises people. A biga is not kneaded.
- Put the flour in a large bowl or container.
- Add the water with the yeast dissolved in it.
- Mix by hand, just until all the flour is taken up. You’ll get loose, shaggy strands and lumps, not a smooth dough.
- Stop there. It should look rough and patchy, with no dry flour left and no big wet clumps.
Kneading would develop the gluten too early. The biga’s job is to ferment, not to build structure.
Fermenting
Cover the container loosely, not airtight: leave one corner of the lid open, or use a light cover such as plastic wrap with a few small holes. The biga needs some air, but left uncovered it dries out. Then leave it at a steady, cool temperature:
- 18°C for 18–24 hours is the classic schedule. A wine fridge set to 18°C is ideal.
- In the fridge (about 4°C) for 36–60 hours works too, with the same yeast. See biga in the fridge or at 18°C.
Temperature matters more than anything else here. A warmer biga ferments faster, so it needs less yeast or less time. The calculator works out the yeast for your time and temperature.
When it’s ready, a biga has grown a little and turned puffier, with a pleasant, slightly sour and alcoholic smell. Inside it’s full of small bubbles.
Turning biga into dough
- Break the biga into small, walnut-sized pieces and put them in the mixer.
- Mix on low speed, adding the rest of the water gradually. Ice-cold water helps keep the dough cool.
- Add the extra yeast (a small boost, around 0.1%), then the salt once the dough is smoother, and any oil near the end.
- Stop when the dough is smooth and around 23–24°C.
Mixing the final dough in a spiral mixer covers speeds, timings and dough temperature in detail. Then rest, fold, ball and ferment the balls. The calculator’s method section gives every step with your amounts.
Gabriel Reboul’s 75% biga recipe
The video below shows Gabriel Reboul’s version, with 75% of the flour in the biga. From his video description:
- Biga (day 1): 750 g flour, 375 g water, 3 g fresh yeast. Mix without kneading, then rest 18 h at 18°C, or 24–48 h in the fridge.
- Final dough (day 2): rehydrate the biga with 175 g water, add 250 g flour and 1 g yeast (optional). Mix on low speed until smooth, then on medium speed while adding another 150 g water. Towards the end, add 27 g salt and 10 g olive oil.
- Rest: 15 minutes, then shape. Use after 3 hours at room temperature, or up to 5–6 hours for an even airier result. Or rest 24 h in the fridge and take it out 30 minutes before shaping.
He says this makes 6 balls of 280 g, but the ingredients add up to about 1740 g of dough: 6 balls of 290 g, or 280 g with a little left over. The calculator link below uses 6 × 290 g so that every amount matches his list.