Bake a batch of Italian inspired honey bread rolls using BIGA, a pre-fermented dough that adds amazing flavor. These rolls are the perfect side dish on your dinner table.
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I've always loved baking bread at home. Homemade bread just tastes better and I love how good it makes my house smell as it bakes. My love for bread baking grew even more after attending culinary schoool in Italy and learning about new techniques including baking bread using BIGA.
If you're unfamiliar with BIGA, it's the Italian version of a pre-fermented dough. Meaning, it's a dough that's made before baking bread that's then included in the bread dough recipe. BIGA adds amazing flavor and texture to bread, including these honey bread rolls.
This bread recipe was one I learned in culinary school. While it's not traditional to pair Italian bread with butter, I love slapping a thick layer of whipped honey butter on top of these rolls.
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What You'll Learn In This Recipe
- How to make BIGA, an Italian style preferment.
- Tips for baking bread at home including how to use the dough hook on your mixer.
- The best way to store bread so it stays good for a long time.
Want to learn more tips for baking bread at home? Grab my free eBook with the best secrets to homemade bread.
Ingredients You Need
Here are the ingredients you'll need to make the honey BIGA rolls, along with some explaination as to why each ingredient is important in this recipe.
- Bread flour: Don't be tempted to use all purpose flour. Bread flour gives you the best texture for rolls with a chewy crust yet fluffy interior.
- Active dry yeast: Even with using BIGA, we still need a little extra active dry yeast in order for the honey bread to properly rise.
- Water: Water is essential for any bread recipe since it allows for gluten to form when mixed with flour.
- BIGA: If you've never made BIGA before, I'll show you how it's made. You'll need to make the BIGA 12 - 16 hours before starting the honey bread.
- Nonfat dried milk: This is a secret ingredient that helps the rolls have a really soft texture.
- Honey: Not only does the honey add a bit of sweetness to the bread, but the sugar helps to the bread to caramelize in the oven, giving it the perfect golden bread color.
- Egg: If you don't have access to large eggs, be sure to weigh out the egg to ensure you're using the correct amount.
- Unsalted butter: Using unsalted butter helps to better control the salt in the bread.
- Fine sea salt: All bread needs a decent amount of salt to give the rolls great flavor. I prefer to use fine sea salt becuase it distributes throughout the dough better than kosher salt.
How To Make This Recipe
Is it your first time making bread with BIGA? Take a look at these step-by-step photos to see how the dough will look throughout the bread baking process.
1. Before you begin making the dough, you'll need to make BIGA, a pre-fermented dough. Mix flour and yeast in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium low speed then slowly drizzle in the water.
2. Once a shaggy dough forms, bump the mixer speed up to high and continue mixing until the dough forms into one solid mass.
3. Transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl and cover with a tea towel. Allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 12 - 16 hours until the top of the dough has crusted over and is flat (if it’s rounded/domed, it needs to sit for a longer time).
4. Once the BIGA is ready, you must use it right away. Cut off and discard a very thin layer of the crusty top of the BIGA then measure 1 ½ cups (368 grams).
5. Mix flour and yeast in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment on medium low speed. Slowly add in half of the water.
6. Toss the BIGA into the dough and continue mixing.
7. Add the remaining water, followed by the powdered milk.
8. Slowly start adding in the honey. It will take a while for the honey to fully mix in.
9. If your mixer is struggling to mix everything together, use a silicone spatula to flip the dough over periodically to help the dough hook catch and knead the honey.
10. Mix in the whisked egg. You'll notice that the dough will become very loose at this point. Don't worry, the egg will continue to beat in as the bread continues to knead.
11. Bump the mixer to medium speed and add in butter 1 tablespoon (14 grams) at a time. Allow each piece of butter to beat in, flipping the dough over periodically to help the dough hook catch. Finally, add the fine sea salt.
12. Bump the mixer speed up to high and mix until you hear a popping sound and the dough wraps around the dough hook. This step helps the dough to fully knead together and combines all of the ingredients.
13. The dough will be smooth and very sticky once it's done kneading. Roll the dough into a tight ball, then place it in a mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow it to rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size.
14. Generously dust a work surface with bread flour and roll the dough into a rectangle about ½ inch (1 - 2 cm) thick. Use a 3 inch (7 cm) circle cookie cutter to cut about 16 rolls from the dough.
Place the rolls on a light colored baking sheet lined with parchment paper at least 3 inches (8 cm) apart. Re-roll the dough and continue cutting rolls until no dough remains.
15. Lightly dust the top of the rolls with additional bread flour to ensure nothing sticks to the top. Then cover the rolls with plastic wrap and proof in a warm, draft free place until doubled in size, about 30 - 60 minutes.
16. Finally, bake in a preheated 350°F or 180°C oven for 13 - 16 minutes until the rolls are lightly golden brown.
Expert Tips
- I always freeze my bread. Using this method the bread lasts longer. Don't worry, freezing the honey bread doesn't change the taste or the texture.
- To freeze, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place rolls on the baking sheet and freeze, just until firm. Place the frozen bread in an airtight container in the freezer until you're ready to serve.
- Warmed bread is always best! Before serving the rolls, heat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a light colored baking sheet with parchment paper and place room temperature rolls on top. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes until warmed through and slightly crunchy on the outside.
- Want to pair these rolls with some butter? Try my sweet compound butter recipes with three different flavors.
Recipe FAQs
The dough will not fully come together until the very last step when you turn the mixer on high speed and allow everything to knead together. If you're having trouble with the dough hook catching and kneading the dough, use a silicone spatula to flip the dough over periodically to help the dough hook catch.
No, you didn't mess anything up! The dough is naturally fairly sticky. Be sure to use enough flour when rolling out the dough. And don't forget to sprinkle additional flour on top of the rolls before proofing.
You'll know the BIGA is ready when the top of the dough has crusted over and is flat. If it’s rounded/domed, it needs to sit for a longer time. If it's sunken down in the middle, you've waited too long to use it and you'll need to remake a new batch before baking bread.
Yes, the bread recipe is designed to use BIGA, so don't skip it!
More Italian Bread Recipes
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Italian Honey BIGA Bread
Equipment
- tea towel
- 3 inch (7 cm) circle cookie cutter
- light colored baking sheets
Ingredients
BIGA
- 3 cups bread flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon water (60°F or 15°C)
Honey Bread
- 4 cups plus more for dusting bread flour
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon water (70°F or 21°C)
- ¼ cup nonfat dried powdered milk
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 large egg whisked together
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened to room temperature and cut into 1 tablespoon (14 grams) pieces
- 1 ¾ teaspoons fine sea salt
Instructions
For the BIGA
- Mix flour and yeast in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium low speed. Slowly add in water.
- Once a shaggy dough forms, bump the mixer speed up to high and continue mixing until the dough forms into one solid mass, about 1 - 2 minutes. If your mixer is having trouble mixing the dough, switch to the dough hook.
- Transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl and cover with a tea towel. Allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 12 - 16 hours until the top of the dough has crusted over and is flat (if it’s rounded/domed, it needs to sit for a longer time).
- Once ready, you must use it immediately. Cut off and discard a very thin layer of the crusty top of the BIGA then measure 1 ½ cups (368 grams).
For Honey Bread
- Mix flour and yeast in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment on medium low speed. Slowly add in half of the water. Once combined, add 1 ½ cups (368 grams) BIGA and mix.
- Slowly add in the remaining water and mix until the dough looks cohesive.
- Add powdered milk; mix until combined.
- Slowly add honey, allowing the flour to absorb the honey before adding in more. You can use a silicone spatula to flip the dough over periodically to help the dough hook catch and knead the honey.
- Add whisked egg; mix until mostly combined (the egg will continue to knead into the dough). The dough will become loosened at this point.
- Bump the mixer to medium speed and add in butter 1 tablespoon (14 grams) at a time. Allow each piece of butter to beat in, flipping the dough over periodically to help the dough hook catch. Add in fine sea salt; mix until combined.
- Bump the mixer speed up to high and mix until you hear a popping sound and the dough wraps around the dough hook. Flip the dough as needed to ensure all of the ingredients are fully mixed (this is when the dough finally comes together). The dough will be smooth and very sticky.
- Roll the dough into a tight ball, then place in a mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 30 - 60 minutes. Rise time will vary depending on the temperature of your environment.
- Generously dust a work surface with bread flour and roll the dough into a rectangle about ½ inch (1 - 2 cm) thick. Use a 3 inch (7 cm) circle cookie cutter to cut about 16 rolls from the dough. Place the rolls on a light colored baking sheet lined with parchment paper at least 3 inches (8 cm) apart. Re-roll the dough and continue cutting rolls until no dough remains.
- Lightly dust the top of the rolls with additional bread flour to ensure nothing sticks to the top. Lightly cover with plastic wrap and proof in a warm, draft free place until doubled in size, about 30 - 60 minutes.
- Heat oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Remove plastic wrap and bake rolls for 13 - 16 minutes, rotating halfway through baking, until lightly golden brown.
- Place the baking sheet on a cooling rack and cover with a tea towel. Allow rolls to cool to room temperature.
Todd
I've been trying to find more unique bread recipes that use BIGA in the recipe. This one turned out really delicious and fluffy. We even made the honey butter to pair alongside it.