Ingredients:

For the Bread:

1 cups (7 ounces) biga (recipe follows)
3 cups plus 2 Tablespoons (14 ounces) unbleached high-gluten or bread flour
1 teaspoons (.38 ounce) salt
teaspoon (.03 ounce) black pepper, coarsely ground (optional)
1 teaspoons (.14 ounce) instant yeast
1 cup (6 ounces) mashed potatoes
1 Tablespoon (.5 ounce) olive oil
2 Tablespoons (.25 ounce) coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
cup plus 2 Tablespoons to 1 cup (7 to 8 ounces) water, at room temperature (or
warm if the potatoes are cold)
4 Tablespoons (1 ounce) coarsely chopped roasted garlic (optional)
Semolina flour or cornmeal for dusting
Olive oil for brushing on top
For the Biga:
2 cups (11.25 ounces) unbleached bread flour
teaspoon (.055 ounce) instant yeast
cup plus 2 Tablespoons to 1 cup (7 to 8 ounces) water, at room temperature)
Directions:
1. Make the biga: Stir together the flour and yeast in a 4-quart bowl (or in the
bowl of an electric mixer). Add cup plus 2 Tablespoons of water, stirring until
everything comes together and makes a coarse ball (or mix on low speed for 1 mi
nute with the paddle attachment). Adjust the flour or water, according to need,
so that the dough is neither too sticky nor too stiff. (It is better to err on t
he sticky side, as you can adjust easier during kneading. It is harder to add wa
ter once the dough firms up.)
Sprinkle some flour on the counter and transfer the dough to the counter. Knead
for 4 to 6 minutes (or mix on medium speed with the dough hook for 4 minutes), o
r until the dough is soft and pliable, tacky but not sticky. The internal temper
ature should be 77 to 81F.
Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat
it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and ferment at room temperature f
or 2 to 4 hours, or until it nearly doubles in size.
Remove the dough from the bowl, knead it lightly to degas, and return it to the
bowl, covering the bowl with plastic wrap. Place the bowl in the refrigerator ov
ernight. You can keep this in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze it in
an airtight plastic bag for up to 3 months.
2. Remove the biga from the refrigerator 1 hour before you plan to make the brea
d. Cut it into about 10 small pieces with a pastry scraper or serrated knife. Co
ver with a towel or plastic wrap and let sit for 1 hour to take off the chill.
3. Stir together the flour, salt, black pepper, and yeast into a 4-quart mixing
bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer). Add the biga pieces, mashed potatoes
, oil, rosemary, and cup plus 2 Tablespoons water. Stir with a large spoon (or m
ix on low speed with the paddle attachment) for 1 minute, or until the ingredien
ts form a ball. Add more water, if necessary, or more flour, if the dough is too
sticky.
4. Sprinkle flour on the counter, transfer the dough to the counter, and begin t
o knead (or mix on medium speed with the dough hook). Knead for approximately 10
minutes (or 6 minutes by machine), adding more flour if needed, until the dough
is soft and supple, tacky but not sticky. It should pass the windowpane test an
d register 77 to 81F. Flatten the dough and spread the roasted garlic over the top
. Gather the dough into a ball and knead it by hand for 1 minute (you will proba
bly have to dust it with flour first to absorb the moisture from the garlic). Li
ghtly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to
coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
5. Ferment at room temperature for approximately 2 hours, or until the dough dou
bles in size.
6. Remove the dough from the bowl and divide it into 2 equal pieces for loaves,
or 18 equal pieces (about 2 ounces each) for dinner rolls. Shape each of the lar
ger pieces into a boule, or shape the smaller pieces into rolls. Line a sheet pa
n with baking parchment (use 2 pans for rolls) and dust lightly with semolina fl
our or cornmeal. Place the dough on the parchment, separating the pieces so that
they will not touch, even after they rise. Mist the dough with spray oil and co
ver loosely with plastic wrap.
7. Proof at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours (depending on the size of the piec
es), or until the dough doubles in size.
8. Preheat the oven to 400F with the oven rack on the middle shelf. Remove the pl
astic from the dough and lightly brush the breads or rolls with olive oil. You d
o not need to score these breads, but you can if you prefer.
9. Place the pan(s) in the oven. Bake the loaves for 20 minutes, then rotate the
pan 180 degrees for even baking. The loaves will take 35 to 45 minutes total to
bake. Bake the rolls for 10 minutes, rotate the pans, and then bake for 10 minu
tes longer. The loaves and rolls will be a rich golden brown all around, and the
internal temperature should register at least 195F. The loaves should make a hol
low sound when thumped on the bottom. If the loaves or rolls are fully colored b
ut seem too soft, turn off the oven and let them bake for an additional 5 to 10
minutes to firm up.
10. Remove the finished loaves or rolls from the oven and cool on a rack for at
least 1 hour for loaves and 20 minutes for rolls before serving.