A biga is a stiff Italian pre-ferment made with flour, a relatively small amount of water (50–60% hydration), and a very small quantity of yeast. It is fermented at room temperature for 16–20 hours — or longer in the refrigerator — before being added to the final dough. The low hydration and long fermentation produce a complex, mildly acidic flavor that is characteristic of ciabatta, focaccia, and many traditional Italian breads.

What is the difference between biga and poolish?

The key difference is hydration. A poolish is a liquid pre-ferment at 100% hydration (equal weights of flour and water), while a biga is a stiff pre-ferment at 50–60% hydration. Biga produces a firmer texture, more complex acidity, and a slightly stronger fermentation aroma than poolish. Both improve crumb structure and shelf life, but biga tends to give a chewier, more flavored bread.

What percentage of flour should go into the biga?

Most recipes use 30–70% of total flour in the biga. A 40–50% biga gives noticeable flavor improvement without making handling too difficult. Higher percentages (60–70%) produce a more pronounced fermentation flavor and are common in traditional Italian ciabatta and focaccia. Lower percentages (20–30%) add subtle complexity without dominating the dough.

How much yeast does a biga need?

For a 16–20 hour room-temperature biga, use roughly 0.3–0.5% of the biga flour weight in instant yeast. For a cold retard (18–24 h at 4°C / 40°F), reduce to 0.1–0.2%. This calculator sets safe defaults based on your chosen fermentation schedule.

How do I know when my biga is ready?

A ripe biga will have increased in volume by 50–75%, feel slightly sticky and webby when pulled apart, and smell pleasantly yeasty with a mild tang. If it smells strongly alcoholic or very sour, it has over-fermented. Use it promptly and reduce yeast slightly next time.

Does the biga water count toward total dough hydration?

Yes. The biga contributes both flour and water to the final dough. This calculator subtracts the biga flour and water from the final dough totals so your overall recipe hydration stays consistent. Always use the remaining water values from this tool, not the original recipe totals.

Biga Calculator

Enter your total flour weight and biga percentage to get exact flour, water, and yeast quantities for your biga pre-ferment and final dough.

Quick Presets

Recipe Parameters

Total Recipe Flour (g)

Total flour across biga + final dough

Biga Percentage: 50%

10% (light) 50% (classic) 80% (bold)

Biga Hydration: 55%

44% (very stiff) 55% (standard) 65% (soft)

Total Dough Hydration: 72%

58% (firm) 72% (ciabatta) 90% (very wet)

Fermentation Schedule

Room temp (16–20 h) Cold retard (18–24 h)

Salt (% of total flour)

Typically 1.8–2.2%. Salt goes in the final dough only.

Biga (Mix Now)

50%

Flour 250 g

Water 138 g

Instant Yeast 0.75 g

Biga Total 389 g

Mix flour, water, and yeast into a rough, stiff dough. Cover and ferment at room temperature for 16–20 hours.

Final Dough (Add After Fermentation)

All biga 389 g

Remaining Flour 250 g

Remaining Water 222 g

Salt 10 g

Additional Yeast 1.25 g

Estimated Dough Weight 872 g

Recipe Summary

500 g

Total Flour

360 g

Total Water

72%

Hydration

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Summary

A biga is a stiff Italian pre-ferment made with flour, a small amount of water (typically 50–60% hydration), and a tiny quantity of yeast, fermented for 16–24 hours before being added to the final dough. Unlike the wetter poolish, biga produces a drier, crumbly texture that develops a more complex, slightly acidic flavor profile prized in ciabatta, focaccia, and Altamura-style breads. This calculator takes your total recipe flour weight and the biga percentage you want to use, then returns the exact grams of flour, water, and instant yeast for both the biga and the remaining final dough ingredients — adjusting yeast automatically for room-temperature or cold-retard schedules.

How it works

Enter the total flour weight for your recipe in grams.
Set the biga percentage — the share of total flour that goes into the pre-ferment (typically 30–70%).
Choose biga hydration: 50% for a very stiff biga, 60% for a firm biga (most common).
Choose your fermentation schedule: room temperature (16–20 h) or cold retard (18–24 h).
The calculator splits flour into biga flour and final-dough flour, then computes water and yeast for each stage.
Copy the results or use the printable summary to guide your bake.

Use cases

Baking ciabatta with a classic biga for an open, airy crumb and crispy crust.
Making focaccia with improved flavor and shelf life using a biga pre-ferment.
Scaling biga quantities when increasing or decreasing a recipe batch.
Switching between room-temperature and cold-retard biga schedules.
Converting a straight-dough bread recipe to use a biga for better flavor complexity.
Calculating yeast reduction needed for an overnight cold-retard biga.
Teaching bakery students the baker's math behind Italian pre-ferment calculations.
Comparing biga versus poolish ratios for the same bread formula.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-05-29 · Reviewed by Nham Vu