The Accidental Scientist - The Science of Cooking

03/11/07 at 08:02:23

capchap Ex Member

Do the grapes color the dough?

Is the taste difference between Biga and plain sourdough noticeable to the novice?

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Reply #1 - 03/11/07 at 11:29:28

capchap Ex Member

OK,
I've started my starter....

It is very much like batter to start, not the dough in the sourdough recipe.

Anyway,,, How do you use it? just like sourtdough starter or is there Biga Bread recipes??

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Reply #2 - 03/11/07 at 22:27:45

Luc_H Ex Member

Hello capchap,

I see you are very inquisitive!

here is some background for you. A sourdough starter and a biga is basically the same thing. Both are methods for <harvesting> and propagating wild yeast and bacteria to digest and ferment flour to make a sponge.

In the San Francisco area there is (was) alot of wild yeast and bacteria in the air the make sourdough starter/bread. The combination of bacteria and yeast is unique to that region. Making sourdough bread in NY (from wild yeast) will not taste the same because of the bacteria/yeast composition in the air is different in quantity, ratio and species then in SF for example.

In Italy they probably made the connection that the same yeast that can ferment to make wine by crushing grapes can leaven flour to make bread. A biga is the Italian version of collecting wild yeast and bacteria to make sourdough bread.

My instinct tells me that both will taste similar but different enough to the novice.

Note: use organic grapes because commercial varieties have pesticides and fungicides that kill the yeast on the fruit and in the starter. Ideally, fresh, ripe, home grown grapes are the best. Place you grapes in a tied cheese cloth pouch, crush them then add to the flour. Once the biga (i.e. starter) is well established (bubbling), take the pouch out, you do not require the grapes anymore. You can maintain the starter alive (without grapes) by just regenerating it with flour.

Don't worry about the colour. After a couple of regenerations of the starter the colour will have faded away.

I hope this satisfies you taste for knowledge?

Good luck,
Luc H

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Reply #3 - 03/11/07 at 23:54:34

capchap Ex Member

Too late,
I already used regular store bought grapes. Maybe the costa ricans don't use persticides . . . fat chance of that.

If it doesn't work out, then I live not far from a small (about 2 acre) vinyard . . I'm sure he doesn't spray. I'll ask for some grapes when they come in.

I wondered why it said organic, I just thought that someone was trying to be "health conscious"

Maybe you could recommend an update to the recipe to include an explanation on the organic...unless the explanation is already there..I have a tendency to gloss over instructions and completely miss small details like "put the yeast in last, away from the liquid ingredients" ... you know mostly unimportant stuff like that lol.

What a great website. I have received moreuseful information from here than from Sunbeam who made my bread machine.

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Reply #4 - 06/18/09 at 01:47:25

samuelj Ex Member

Is the taste difference between Biga and plain sourdough noticeable to the novice? It is a very interesting question. But I cannot find right answers in all replies... Embarrassed

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Reply #5 - 07/20/09 at 04:27:27

Floobynooby Ex Member

Will washing the grapes remove the pesticide and fungicide, or is it absorbed in to the fruit, which is kind of worrying if it has.

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Reply #6 - 08/08/09 at 06:00:11

leander Ex Member

Interesting discussion well, if you want to know more about with pictures then get more information related to this topic on the godaddy coupons web pages.

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Reply #7 - 08/21/09 at 06:17:03

degreen Ex Member

Quote:

OK,
I've started my starter....

It is very much like batter to start, not the dough in the sourdough recipe.

Anyway,,, How do you use it? just like sourtdough starter or is there Biga Bread recipes??

Interesting way to look at it. For the most part, I agree with you. It would be great if got more post like this. I appreciate it.

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Reply #8 - 08/22/09 at 07:54:16

JohnTUSA Ex Member

Yes, its is noticeable.

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Reply #9 - 09/01/09 at 22:14:59

Reply #10 - 09/02/09 at 16:04:47

kathyk Offline
Junior Member
Welcome to Cooking!

Posts: 91

You answered a question i had for years. I noticed that the same bread did not taste the same in different areas. You could make them exactly the same but when you said the bacteria in the air is different in san fransico i learned why things taste different in certain areas. I wonder if they could sell the bacteria so you get the same flavor.

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Reply #11 - 10/26/09 at 18:00:10

jcfreema Ex Member

Quote:

Do the grapes color the dough?

Is the taste difference between Biga and plain sourdough noticeable to the novice?

Yes I believe so.

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Reply #12 - 10/26/09 at 18:00:42

jcfreema Ex Member

kathyk wrote on 09/02/09 at 16:04:47:

You answered a question i had for years. I noticed that the same bread did not taste the same in different areas. You could make them exactly the same but when you said the bacteria in the air is different in san fransico i learned why things taste different in certain areas. I wonder if they could sell the bacteria so you get the same flavor.

there is always bacteria in the air

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Reply #13 - 10/26/09 at 18:02:07

jcfreema Ex Member

they can pretty much start with also different when it comes to ach processing of the various grapes during the season

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Reply #14 - 11/13/09 at 20:43:44

kalayan Ex Member

nice blog...i really liked the explanation in the blog thanks for sharing......

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