Biga

A stiff, low-hydration Italian preferment that builds strength and a nutty depth of flavour, common in Roman-style doughs.

Contribution

Flavour: Adds more pronounced tang and complexity than poolish, with a slightly nutty depth

Strength: High; biga's stiff, low-hydration structure builds significant dough strength

Extensibility: Lower extensibility than poolish; contributes more to strength and structure than to stretchiness

Roman tondaCommon modern approachGenerally accepted
Builds the extra dough strength that supports the style's lower-hydration, oil-enriched, crisp-thin ('scrocchiarella') result.
Pizza al taglio (Roman-style)TraditionalWell established
Builds the dough strength needed to hold very high hydration (often 80%+) through a long fermentation without collapsing.
Pizza contemporaneaOptional flavour/scheduling choiceLimited evidence
Adds dough strength and a deeper flavour beyond a straight direct dough.
Used by some contemporary pizzaiuoli pursuing extra structure for the style's higher hydration and longer fermentation, not a fixed requirement.
Pizza bianca romanaTraditionalGenerally accepted
Builds the dough strength needed to hold this style's very high hydration (70-80%) through a long fermentation.

Its slow, cold fermentation fits well with next-day scheduling and is more forgiving of timing variance than poolish