The progressive reduction of the size of bread is a small but significant indicator of the changes on the social level of our society.

With the transformation of a generally agricultural community into one of industrial advancement and tertiary character, the staples of our diet have seen a decrease in size over time.

A tendency that has grown in these past years is the fact that mealtimes, especially lunchtime, have become faster paced, which is a direct result of the brevity of breaks during work hours.
This inclination towards shorter meal times seems to have a long history behind it, as demonstrated by the well-finished agrarian L’Inchiesta, written between 1977 to 1884, by Stefano Jacini (scholar and minister of public works in some governments of the time).
The research, promoted by the parliament, brought to light the situation of the Italian territory post-Unification.

From the results emerged the fact that Piedmont civilizations were making bread every 15th day, if not once a month; a habit that suggests that the breads in question had to be very large in order to satisfy the appetites of an entire family for over several days.
The classic biova was not an exception in this case.

Born in Turin, it was called miccone

Among the breads of Piedmont, the biova is, perhaps, the most well known and common.
Its form of about 500 grams took up the size of bread already present in the rural country in the nineteenth century.
Biova that we know today was born at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, when people began to use the first ever kneading machines.
It was produced above all to weigh 500 grams and was marketed with the name miccone.
The mass that came out of the kneading machine had a characteristic shape, round in the middle and stretched thin at the two ends, vaguely resembling the shape of a spindle; it was cut in half with a wooden knife called “scraper”; Biova, measuring 100 grams in weight, and biovetta, measuring 50 grams, stood along side of the 500 gram bread. These two breads were prepared with the same dough and by the same method. Actually the biova was produced with 00 flour, while at the start it was kneaded with rawer flour that is a cross between 1 and 0.
Biova  is a bread of Turin origin, even though its diffusion throughout Piedmont was substantial, and became representative of the regional bakery.
At the start of the twentieth century, until  World War II, bigger biove, ie the miccone, that were the most affordable form, were very popular, while the biovetta was called “break of the rich”.

The biovetta, the typology most widespread

Today tastes for and the purchase of bread has changed. However, bread now represents a cost accessible to all. Biovetta, for obvious motives of practicality, suddenly has a experiences notable popularity and is the most widespread form of the family. While the biova is also bought for the table, it is the last to be preferred for the preparation of a sandwich or in restaurants, where, like our readers know well, it is easier to manage small breads.

Round shape for a “light” piece of bread

The round shape, slightly elongated at the sides, has a unique core that makes it particularly light. To prepare the biova , first, one needs to form a leavened dough called poolish, namely made by using a semi liquid leaven to combine with the real dough: a longer fermentation corresponds to a lower percentage of leaven.
The poolish is then mixed with the flour, water and another percentage of leaven to which you add, by the end of the processing, the necessary salt.
In addition to the biova the is free of fat, there is also a flavored version you can make by adding lard to the ingredients.
In every case the composition is left to rest, then broken up and worked in strands , then shaped.
The pieces obtained are finally allowed to leaven in special cells at a temperature of 81 to 82 degrees Farenheit for no more than an hour.

Light brown color, with white bread

Having removed the bread from the cells, the pieces of bread are then cut lengthwise, while the tips are pressed so as not to be too long; the next operation consists of arranging the bread with the cut side facing up on the cooking sheet and then baking it.
The biova, at this point, is ready.
It has a big surface of crust in relation to bread, which is relatively of low quantity and is rather light.
The bread has a light hazelnut color on the outside, is round, with elongated extremities and with smooth crust that becomes blooms, i.e. irregularly wrinkled on top. You can break the crust with extreme ease; it keeps crisp for a long time and has a subtle hint of yeast.
Biova has soft white bread on the inside, with an odor at times vaguely sour, especially in the first hours proceeding its cooking; exposed to the air, it tends to balance out, losing the aroma.
The taste is delicate, as a result of its light salting, obviously more sharp on the visible surface ( crust)  than inside where, in the course of cooking, the caramelization of the sugars occurs.

Optimal with meat, like brasato and stew

In regards to the bigger biova, it goes well with meats, even better with brasatos and stewes; accompanying stuffer veal,  breast of capon in a white wine sauce.
Biovetta bread marries with omelettes stuffed with hot cheese, cheese fondue, and grilled eggplant marinated in olive oil, garlic and parsely.
Or try biovetta bread stuffed with thinly sliced, cold roasted veal, or a thin, cold breaded pork chop.

Information

Name: Biova
Type: Bread of marked leavening
Raw materials: 00 flour, yeast, salt and water, with or without lard
Shape: round and elongated at the ends
Organoleptic analyses: light hazelnut color with smooth crust that blooms, or becomes wrinkled at the top; the crust stays crisp for a long time and has a vague scent of yeast.
The taste is delicate, based on the light salting.
Food pairings: it goes well with brasato and stews; to preparations more delicate like stuffed veal, salad with rabbit, capon breast in white wine sauce; cheeses and cured meats.