Instructions: In the bowl of a standing mixer or another large bowl, sprinkle yeast over 1 cup warm (100 to 110 degrees) water; let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.

Add 1 1/4 cups cold water, Biga, 3 cups bread flour, whole-wheat flour, and salt to yeast mixture. Beat with paddle attachment on low speed, or stir with a heavy spoon, until well blended. Gradually beat or stir in 2 more cups bread flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until mixture forms a soft dough.

Switch to a dough hook and beat on medium speed until dough is smooth and elastic and pulls cleanly from sides of bowl but is still slightly sticky, 6 to 8 minutes; or scrape dough onto a lightly floured board and knead by hand until smooth and elastic but still slightly sticky, 7 to 10 minutes.

Add leeks, nuts, and oregano and beat in with dough hook or knead in by hand just until incorporated (after mixing in by hand, place dough in a bowl).

Cover bowl with plastic wrap; let dough rise at room temperature until doubled, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Punch down with your hand to expel air.

Re-cover dough with plastic wrap and let rise again until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Or for a slow rise, chill at least 8 and up to 12 hours; let come to room temperature, about 3 hours.

Scrape dough onto a well-floured board and knead briefly to expel air. Divide in half. With lightly floured hands, gather each half into a ball, then stretch and tuck edges under to shape into a smooth oval with slightly tapered ends (about 8 inches long and 4 inches wide in the center). Place loaves on a well-floured surface, dust lightly with flour, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rise at room temperature until theyre slightly puffy and hold the imprint of a finger when lightly pressed, about 1 1/2 hours.

Sprinkle a 13- by 17-inch baking sheet generously with cornmeal. Transfer loaves, one at a time, to sheet, spacing 2 to 3 inches apart. With a sharp knife, make three diagonal slashes 1 inch deep and 1 to 2 inches apart across loaf tops. Place sheet on rack in lower third of a 450 degrees regular or convection oven.

Or, if using a baking stone, gently slide edge of cornmeal-covered baking sheet under one loaf and lift it onto end of sheet. Slash as directed above, then gently slide loaf onto one side of stone in oven, leaving room for second loaf. Repeat to slash and transfer second loaf.

Spray 3 to 4 squirts of water on floor or sides of oven, taking care not to spray near heating element or lightbulb, then quickly close door.

Bake bread, spraying twice more at 5-minute intervals during the first 10 minutes of baking, until crust is well browned, 35 to 45 minutes total.

Transfer loaves to a rack to cool for at least 1 hour. Store in paper bags at room temperature up to 2 days. To recrisp the crust, place loaves directly on a rack in a 400 degrees oven and bake for about 5 minutes.

This recipe yields 2 loaves, 1 3/4 pounds each.

Comments: Mix biga 1 day before baking bread.

Shortcut Loaf Using a bread machine: You can give bakery character to this bread by using artisan techniques for baking and shaping loaves after a machine has mixed and kneaded the dough.

Add 3 cups bread flour, 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour, 1 1/2 cups water, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast to bread machine according to manufacturers directions. Select dough cycle.

At end of cycle, scrape dough onto a lightly floured board. Knead in 1/2 cup finely chopped leeks and 1/3 cup chopped walnuts. Follow step 7 (above) to shape into a loaf, letting it rise about 30 minutes. Follow steps 8 through 10 to slash, bake, and cool loaf.

Makes one 1 1/2-pound loaf.

Yield: 2 loaves

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