Poolish & Biga Pre-Ferment Pizza Calculator
Calculate Italian Biga (50% stiff) and French Poolish (100% liquid) commercial preferments. Automates flour and water subtraction for final dough mixing.
Preferments elevate commercial pizza dough: Poolish (100% hydration liquid preferment) boosts dough extensibility and sweet aromatic esters. Biga (45–50% hydration stiff preferment) enhances dough tenacity, alveolar cornicione volume, and lactic acid complexity.
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The Biochemical Power of Commercial Preferments
Commercial preferments—developed in 19th-century Europe before the advent of temperature-controlled refrigeration—are the secret weapon of world-champion pizzaiolos.
By pre-fermenting a portion of the recipe flour with a microscopic amount of yeast for 16 to 18 hours, enzymes have hours to convert wheat starches into fermentable sugars and organic acids without accumulating high acidity, delivering the complex flavor of sourdough paired with the predictable explosive rise of commercial yeast.
Poolish vs Biga: Understanding Extensibility vs Tenacity
Choosing between Poolish and Biga depends on your desired crust morphology:
- Poolish (100% Hydration Liquid Preferment): Originating in Poland and refined in France, Poolish creates high proteolytic enzyme activity that enhances dough extensibility (stretchability). It yields a thin, tender, melt-in-the-mouth crumb with sweet, nutty notes.
- Biga (45%–50% Hydration Stiff Preferment): Originating in Italy, Biga favors yeast cell multiplication with low enzymatic degradation, boosting dough tenacity (elastic strength). It produces massive, explosive, cavernous honeycomb alveoli in the outer cornicione.
Method Analysis: Advantages vs Critical Constraints
Key Advantages & Strengths
- Produces massive, explosive cornicione rise with huge internal air chambers.
- Imparts sweet, nutty, complex fermented aroma without sourdough sourness.
- Extends baked pizza shelf-life and crispness retention.
Critical Constraints & Hazards
- Requires a 2-stage mixing process planned 16–24 hours in advance.
Density & Volume Reference Table
| Measurement Item | Weight Equivalency | Density Factor | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Cup 100% Poolish | 235 g | 0.993 g/ml | Bubbly, active liquid |
| 1 Cup Unbleached Bread Flour | 128 g | 0.541 g/ml | High protein 13%+ |
| 1 Teaspoon Honey / Diastatic Malt | 7 g | 1.420 g/ml | Food for preferment yeast |
| 1/4 Teaspoon Instant Dry Yeast | 0.8 g | 0.950 g/ml | Preferment inoculation |
Formula & Calculation Methodology
Step-by-Step Usage Guide:
- Enter your total recipe flour mass and select your preferment type (Poolish or Biga).
- Set the preferment percentage (20%–30% of total flour is standard for 16-hour preferments; up to 100% for 100% Biga styles).
- Mix the preferment 16–18 hours before final dough mixing and ferment at 64°F–68°F (18°C–20°C).
- On bake day, dissolve preferment in the remaining water, add remaining flour and salt, and knead to windowpane.
- Ball and proof for 2 to 4 hours before baking.
Practical Worked Example
Preparing a 30% Poolish for a 1,000g total flour batch at 66% target hydration.
Poolish (Day 1): 300g Flour + 300g Water + 0.3g Instant Yeast + 3g Honey. Ferment 16h at room temp. Main Dough (Day 2): Add remaining 700g Flour + 360g Water + 28g Sea Salt + 1g Instant Yeast.
Common Kitchen Mistakes & Failure Modes
- •Over-fermenting Poolish until it collapses and turns sour; Poolish should be used at its peak when surface is covered in bubbly domes, before the center sinks.
- •Kneading Biga into a smooth ball; Biga should be mixed rough and crumbly without developing gluten during preferment stage.
- •Adding salt to the preferment; salt retards yeast enzyme development and is only added during the final main dough mix.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
When is a Poolish ready to use in pizza dough?
A Poolish is ready when it has tripled in volume, the surface is covered in small active bubbles, and the top has just begun to flatten or show slight wrinkling (typically 14–16 hours at 68°F / 20°C).
How do I mix a 100% Biga pizza dough?
Mix 100% of your flour with 50% water and 0.5% yeast roughly into a shaggy, dry crumb. Ferment 16h at 64°F (18°C). On bake day, break Biga into small pieces in your mixer bowl, add the remaining water gradually with salt, and knead to full windowpane.
Can I refrigerate Poolish or Biga to use later?
Yes! After 12 hours of room temperature fermentation, you can refrigerate your preferment at 39°F (4°C) for up to 48 hours before mixing the final dough.
Why is salt omitted from preferments?
Salt slows down yeast reproduction and enzyme activation. Omitting salt allows the tiny yeast population to multiply rapidly and produce maximum flavor compounds in the preferment.
What percentage of flour should I put into the preferment?
For everyday home baking, 20% to 30% of the total recipe flour in the preferment provides optimal flavor and rise without complicating the final mix.
Does Poolish make pizza crust sour like sourdough?
No! Because Poolish uses commercial baker’s yeast rather than wild lactobacillus bacteria, it produces sweet aromatic esters, ethanol, and pleasant nutty flavors with zero sourness.