Biove is a bread of Piedmont. It is a fairly large, relatively high
loaf, is round, and is scored in the center. It is usually produced using type 00
flour, and can weigh 1/4 kilogram or more. The city of Pavia is especially well known for
its Biove.
Biove is a bread which is characteristic of Lombardy and Piedmont.
The recipes below describe Direct and Indirect Methods. Try them both, and let us know which one you prefer. Two additioinal recipes for biove have also been added to The Artisan (Click here for Recipes #1 & #2)
Direct Method INGREDIENTS
| 3 | Tsp. | Yeast |
| 1/2 | Cup | Water- warm (120 ml) |
| 3 3/4 | Cups | Flour: all-purpose unbleached |
| 1 | Tsp. (scant) | Malt (10g) |
| 1 | Tsp. (full) | Salt (8 g) |
| 1/4 | Cup + 3 Tbl. | Water (100 ml) |
| 1 | Tbl. + 1 Tsp. | Lard (20 g) -- Note: Extra-virgin olive oil may substitute for lard |
Dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup water and allow it to stand for approximately 5-10 minutes. Combine the flour (3 3/4 cups), malt (1 scant teaspoon), and salt (1 full teaspoon). Combine the additional water (1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons) and the lard (1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon lard). Place the flour mixture on the work surface (or in a large bowl) and make a well in the center. Gradually add the dissolved yeast and the additional water and lard mixture to the flour, mixing well between additions. Continue to mix until the dough begins to hold together. Knead the dough to a soft, but not sticky, consistency (8-10 minutes).
Place the dough in a lightly floured bowl. Allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes.
Turn the risen dough onto a flour dusted work surface. Divide the dough into two equal portions. Working with one portion at a time, cup your hands beneath the dough and gently fold sections of it toward the center, as you turn it, to form a loose round ball. Gently press the ball into a disk. Lift up approximately one inch of the far edge of the disk and fold it toward you. Lift the folded edge and roll it up toward you until the dough takes on a cylindrical shape. When you reach the edge of the disk, press the edge of the cylinder to the bottom edge of the disk with the heel of your hand, thereby forming a seam. Turn each cylinder 90 degrees (1/4 quarter turn). Using a rolling pin, flatten each cylinder into a long and thin rectangle. Beginning at the edge farthest from you, once again, roll the dough toward you into a cylinder. In this instance use your thumbs as a guide on each side to prevent points from forming. Each portion of dough now resembles a snail. Dust a piece of canvas (untreated, 100% cotton) with flour. Place a bag of flour under one edge of the canvas. Place the rolled edge of one portion of dough (seam-side down) against the canvassed flour bag. It looks as if the "snail" were facing you. Lift the canvas at the other edge of the dough to create a fold. Place the second portion of dough against the first, rolled edge to rolled edge. Put a second bag of flour under the canvas at the other edge of the dough to support it. Cover the dough with a cotton towel. Allow it to rise for 30-40 minutes.
As the dough is rising, place a baking stone in the oven and set the temperature to 450 F. Allow the oven to heat for 30 minutes.
In Italy, a special tool is used to cut biove. This tool is shaped like a dough scraper and made of wood. A plastic or steel dough scraper or a wooden dowel will have the same effect. Transfer the dough from the canvass to the flour dusted work surface. Using a scraper or dowel, apply pressure in a downward motion at the center of each piece of dough, lengthwise. (One rolled edge of the dough should be facing the top of the work surface and the other facing the bottom. The scraper or dowel should be positioned, vertically, in the center of the dough.) Transfer each portion of dough to a sheet of parchment paper, open side up, and slash through the opening with a blade. Slide a baker’s peel beneath the parchment paper. Lower the oven temperature to 400 F. Slide the parchment paper from the peel onto the baking stone. Allow the dough to bake until it is a golden color (25 - 30 minutes).
Remove the loaves from the oven and allow them to cool on a rack.
Indirect Method - Poolish
(Adapted from Il Pane, Un'Arte, Una Technologia by Piergiorgio Giorilla and Simona Lauri)
INGREDIENTS
Starter
| 1/2 | Tsp. | Yeast - Active dry or 1/5th of a small cake yeast (3 g) |
| 1/4 | Cup | Water - Warm (60 ml) |
| 1/4 | Cup + 2 Tbl. | Water (90 ml) |
| 1 | Cup + 2 Tbl. | Flour: all-purpose unbleached (150 g) |
Dough
| 1 | Tsp. | Yeast - active dry yeast or 1/2 small cake yeast (9 g) |
| 1/4 | Cup | Water - warm (60 ml) |
| 3 | Tbl. | Water (45 ml) |
| 1 | Tbl. + 1 Tsp. | Lard - Note: Extra-virgin olive oil may substitute for lard |
| 300 g | Starter | From Above |
| 2 1/4 | Cups | Flour: all-purpose unbleached |
| 1/4 | Tsp. | Malt (2 g) |
| 2 | Tsp. | Salt (10 g) |
PROCEDURE
Starter
Dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup water and allow it to stand for approximately 5 -10 minutes. Add 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour and mix until the flour is absorbed. Knead the dough to a firm consistency. Cover the starter and allow it to remain at room temperature for 16-20 or overnight.
Dough
Dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup water and allow it to stand for approximately 5 -10 minutes. Combine the additional water (3 tablespoons) and the lard (1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon lard). Use this mixture to free the starter from its container and add it to the dissolved yeast. Combine the flour (2 1/4 cups), and malt (1/4 teaspoon). Place the flour mixture on the work surface (or in a large bowl) and make a well in the center. Gradually add the yeast, water, lard and starter combination to the flour, mixing well between additions. Continue to mix until the dough begins to hold together. Knead the dough to a soft, but not sticky, consistency (8-10 minutes). Add the salt (2 teaspoons) toward the end of the kneading.
Place the dough in a lightly floured bowl. Allow the dough to rest for 15 minutes.
Turn the risen dough onto a flour dusted work surface. Divide the dough into two equal portions. Working with one portion at a time, cup your hands beneath the dough and gently fold sections of it toward the center, as you turn it, to form a loose round ball. Gently press the ball into a disk. Lift up approximately one inch of the far edge of the disk and fold it toward you. Lift the folded edge and roll it up toward you until the dough takes on a cylindrical shape. When you reach the edge of the disk, press the edge of the cylinder to the bottom edge of the disk with the heel of your hand, thereby forming a seam. Turn each cylinder 90 degrees (1/4 quarter turn). Using a rolling pin, flatten each cylinder into a long and thin rectangle. Beginning at the edge farthest from you, once again, roll the dough toward you into a cylinder. In this instance use your thumbs as a guide on each side to prevent points from forming. Each portion of dough now resembles a snail. Dust a piece of canvas (untreated, 100% cotton) with flour. Place a bag of flour under one edge of the canvas. Place the rolled edge of one portion of dough (seam-side down) against the canvassed flour bag. It looks as if the "snail" were facing you. Lift the canvas at the other edge of the dough to create a fold. Place the second portion of dough against the first, rolled edge to rolled edge. Put a second bag of flour under the canvas at the other edge of the dough to support it. Cover the dough with a cotton towel. Allow it to rise for 50-60 minutes at 80 degrees.
As the dough is rising, place a baking stone in the oven and set the temperature to 450 F. Allow the oven to heat for 30 minutes.
In Italy, a special tool is used to cut biove. This tool is shaped like a dough scraper and made of wood. A plastic or steel dough scraper or a wooden dowel will have the same effect. Transfer the dough from the canvass to the flour dusted work surface. Using a scraper or dowel, apply pressure in a downward motion at the center of each piece of dough, lengthwise. (One rolled edge of the dough should be facing the top of the work surface and the other facing the bottom. The scraper or dowel should be positioned, vertically, in the center of the dough.) Slightly compress the ends of each portion. Transfer each portion of dough to a sheet of parchment paper, open side up, and slash through the opening with a blade. Slide a baker’s peel beneath the parchment paper. Lower the oven temperature to 400 F. Slide the parchment paper from the peel onto the baking stone. Allow the dough to bake until it is a golden color (25 - 30 minutes).
Remove the loaves from the oven and allow them to cool on a rack.
NOTE: Commercial Italian bakers use specialized equipment to roll individual disks of dough into cylindrical shapes (referred to as filone), which are subsequently rolled into the shape of a biove. The instructions provided above are presented as a manual alternative for the serious home baker.
