What exactly is "100% Biga"?

[white wolf]

I've been seeing the term "100% biga" used a lot lately and it does not make any sense to me. As far as I know, a biga percentage should refer to its weight in the final dough.

For example, a 20% biga means the biga makes up 20% of the total dough weight. I can't find anything that says otherwise. So when people say "100% biga," it sounds like they are saying the biga is the whole dough, which is impossible.

I've tried to ask people what they mean, but they just repeat the term or say it refers to the flour in the biga itself. That still does not make sense to me. Is my thinking wrong on this?

 

[ashandcrust484]

You got it. When someone says 100% biga, they're probably talking about the flour in the mix. It just means the biga is flour and water only, nothing added. A lot of sourdough bakers do this to get their starter going

 

[im-frm-chicago0201]

The terminology is often used incorrectly. In most baking circles, "100% biga" means that 100% of the total flour for the recipe is pre-fermented. A classic biga also uses flour, water and a tiny pinch of commercial yeast, distinguishing it from a sourdough starter. The usage of the term can get sloppy across different baking communities, which is where the confusion usually starts.