Ciabatta bread
4 servings
45 minutes
Ciabatta is a traditional Italian bread with a crispy crust and airy, porous crumb. Its history began in 1982 in the Veneto region when baker Arnoldo Cavallari created this unique recipe to compete with the French baguette. Ciabatta is known for its lightness and delicate flavor with subtle hints of sweetness due to a small amount of sugar. This bread pairs perfectly with olive oil, antipasti, and cheeses, and serves as an excellent base for sandwiches and bruschetta. The key to its texture is the long fermentation of the dough, which allows the aroma of flour and yeast to develop. Its fluffy structure and appetizing crust make ciabatta one of the most beloved types of Italian bread that can be enjoyed fresh or lightly toasted.
1
Mix the dry ingredients.
- Sugar: 2 teaspoons
- Salt: 2 teaspoons
- Wheat flour: 4 glasss
- Dry yeast: 1 teaspoon
2
Add water.
- Water: 2 glasss
3
Knead the dough.
4
Cover with film and leave in a warm place for 18 hours! After 18 hours. Wipe the working surface with a damp cloth, cover with film. Secure the film well with flour.
- Wheat flour: 4 glasss
5
Lay the dough on the film. Shape the dough into a rectangle, dust with flour. Flour the baking tray well. Take the edges of the film (with the dough) and carefully flip the dough onto the tray. Again, shape the rectangle to make a nice, even bread. Cover with a towel and leave for 2 hours.
- Wheat flour: 4 glasss
6
Preheat the oven to 220 degrees. Place the ciabatta in the oven, reduce the temperature to 200 degrees, and bake for 35–45 minutes.
7
Cool the finished bread completely on a rack. Do not put the bread in a bag or plastic wrap while it is hot, as it won't 'breathe' inside and the crumb will become wet and sticky.