Many of the recipes for the classic regional breads begin with starter dough made from small amounts of flour, water and yeast allowed to initial fermentation and then used to infuse the actual bread dough.  The starter, known as biga in Italy, not only gives strength and force to what in Italy are weak flours but also produces a secondary fermentation from which comes the wonderful aroma, natural flavor and special porosity of the final loaves and wheels of bread. 

I keep some biga on hand at all times—the contents of our refrigerator and freezer are definitely not the typical American vision with more inedible than edible contents.  Still, by having it on hand, I can decide to make pane pugliese or ciabatta in the morning and have it for dinner that night.

In Italy, bakers save saltless dough from the previous day’s bake to start a new dough.  Because the first biga must come from somewhere, you may make it following the instructions below.  This biga is remarkable.  It freezes very well and needs only about three hours at room temperature until it is bubbly and active again.  It can be refrigerated for about a week; after that it gets a bit strong.  When using it in recipes, it is best to weigh it rather than measure it for it expands at room temperature.  The bakers I admire most advise ten to eleven hours for the first rise and then another three hours after adding more flour and water, but others are very happy with the twenty-four hours it takes for dough to become truly yesterday’s dough.  If you like sour bread, allow your biga to rest for twenty-four to seventy-two hours.  The important point about a starter dough is that it is very close to natural yeast and the bread made with it develop a wonderful taste because their risings are long and bring out the flavor of the grain.  Another benefit is that the loaves remain fresher and taste sweeter than those made with large amounts of commercial yeast.