Biga Pizza

This is not your classic pizza recipe! 
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Today we’re making pizza using the biga method. Biga is a type of pre-ferment often used in Italian bakeries and in pizza restaurants. These types of pre-ferment have many benefits for the final product. The biga takes the aroma and the flavour of the bread to another level, giving it a delicious smell and nutty flavour. It also helps to develop an open crumb texture with a golden, crispy crust! 

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Makes: 6 pizzas 
Ingredients 
For the biga: 

• 330g strong white flour
• 148g cold water 
• 3.3g fresh yeast or 1.1g dry yeast 

For the final dough: 

• 400g 00 flour 
• 170g strong white flour
• 100g malted flour or spelled flour
• 482ml water
• 5g fresh yeast or 1.6g dry yeast 
• Salt 25g 
• Semolina for stretching (optional) 

For the tomato sauce

• 1 x 800g can of plum tomatoes 
• 1 tsp of salt 
• 1 tsp of sugar 
• A small bunch of basil
• 20ml of extra virgin olive oil

Other ingredients 

• Fresh mozzarella balls 
• Olive oil 
• Parmesan cheese 
• Basil 
• And any other ingredients you would like on your pizza 

Method
Day 1 

• Make the biga. In a large container, add the water and the yeast. Now add the flour. At this stage you don’t have to knead. We only want to mix ingredients so that there is no more flour not integrated with water. To achieve this you can either use a fork and mix the flour until it absorbs all water. The fork will help you avoid kneading and will create the gluten mesh. The second option is to start shaking the container. When shaking the recipient, water will naturally absorb the flour. Finally, use your hand and go around the container to make sure all the flour is gone from the sides and you’re left with a dough that is very rough and has a lumpy texture. Cover and let it ferment for 16 to 20 hours max at room temperature between 18-20°C.
• Make the tomato sauce. Place the plum tomatoes, the basil, the salt, the sugar and the olive oil in a large bowl. With clean hands, crush the tomatoes until they have fully broken down. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Cover and leave it refrigerated overnight. 

Day 2 

1. To start, pre-measure all of the ingredients for the final dough. In a very large bowl, add the water and the yeast and mix it with a fork until the yeast is fully dissolved. Now add the biga into the bowl too and mix. It will not dissolve completely but try to dissolve it as much as you can.  
2. Add all the rest of the flour (400g 00 flour - 170g strong white - 100g malted flour) and mix well with a wooden spoon until there is no more dry flour. 
3. Now add the salt. Hold the bowl with one hand and knead the dough inside the bowl with the other until the salt is fully absorbed and there are no more bits of dry flour. Don't worry if the dough is sticking to your hand - this is part of the process. Sticky dough means good hydration of the dough so do not add any flour just yet. Scrape off all the dry flour from the side of the bowl if there is any. 
4. Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and start kneading the dough with the palms of your hands - be energetic and a little fast with your kneading movement. The slower your kneading movement, the stickier your dough will be. Use the scraper to help you bring the dough back together while kneading it and to take off the sticky dough from your hands! Knead for another 10-12 minutes without stopping.
5. Once the dough is nicely kneaded and elastic, make a big ball shape and transfer the dough back to the bowl. Cover with cling film or a damp tea towel and rest for one hour. 
6. Move the dough back to the table and separate your dough into 6 equal pieces. Ensure these portions are the correct size by weighing them on a scale. Weigh the whole ball first and then divide by 6. Each dough should weigh between 260g and 270g. To shape each ball, use a flat surface, roll each dough over on itself a few times, rotating each time to keep it round. Finish it by shaping each dough carefully into a ball and sealing the bottom tightly.
7. If using the pizza dough on the same day, dust the work surface with flour and place the dough balls on top with the smooth side facing up, keeping each ball separated by a few centimetres. Brush each dough ball with olive oil to avoid sticking and cover them all with cling film. Let them proof for 6/8 hours or until almost double in size. The proving of your pizza balls depends as well on the room temperature of your kitchen. If it is too warm they will prove faster, if it is too cold they could take longer, so make sure you keep an eye on them.
8. For a slow rise, transfer the dough balls into a floured airtight container, with the smooth side facing up and keeping the dough balls separated by a few centimetres and cover. If you don't have a large airtight container for pizza use something similar such as a large tray or plastic food containers. Place the pizza balls in the fridge for a minimum of 15 hours to a maximum of 18 hours. This will improve the flavour and aroma of your pizza dough and also promotes the proving, making the pizza more digestible. 
9. Preheat your oven 1 hour before cooking on the maximum heat on fan mode. If you have a pizza stone, place this in the oven on the middle shelf. 
10. Dust your table with a touch of flour or semolina (semolina will give the pizza a light crusty and nutty flavour) then carefully place one of the proved dough balls on your table and add another touch of flour or semolina on top of the dough.
11. Start stretching your pizza from the middle of the dough ball with the top of your fingers, pushing out the natural air inside the pizza. Next, flip the dough and do exactly the same over and over again, flipping the dough constantly. Click here if you would like to see a video guide for the stretching process.
12. If you like your pizza "Alla Napoletana" (with the crust) then you will have to keep going with this process, pushing the natural air inside the dough out to create a barrier all around - but try not to touch this. When you are doing this process, remember that the crust will double in size in the oven, so the crust you are going to create will be no larger than a 1 cm or your pizza will be mainly crust once cooked!).
13. Create a round pizza of around 30/35cm in diameter.
14. If you like your pizza "Alla Romana" (without the crust and with a thin base) then it will be much easier; all you need is a rolling pin. Place the rolling pin on top of your dough (which you will already have pre-stretched a bit by hand) and roll it with the rolling pin, constantly flipping the dough, making sure the base of the pizza is completely even and not too thin.
15. Place your stretched pizza on a large clean baking tray with baking paper. If you are using a pizza stone you can use a pizza peel or alternatively a flour dusted large wooden chopping board to slide the pizza on the pizza stone. 
16. To make a margherita, start spreading 3 tbsp of tomato sauce and bake until half way cooked. 
17. Take the pizza out of the oven and add a few basil leaves, a drizzle of olive oil, fresh mozzarella and grated Parmesan cheese. Now brush the crust of the pizza with olive oil and bake again until the crust is nicely golden  (the olive oil  helps to colour the crust when baking in a house oven).
18. Let it cool down for 1 minute and serve! 

Enjoy!

Watch the recipe video

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