Ciabatta
6 servings
300 minutes
Ciabatta requires patience: it takes 18 hours to prepare the starter and then the dough. But if you follow the instructions carefully and pay close attention to what's happening with the dough, the bread will be more flavorful than the one you get at the bakery. This is a basic ciabatta recipe, and it leaves room for experimentation: try adding olives, sun-dried tomatoes, or spices.
1
Prepare the necessary ingredients
2
Mix 165 grams of flour, 130 ml of warm water, and a pinch of yeast until smooth.
- Wheat flour: 415 g
- Water: 310 ml
- Dry yeast: 4 g
3
Cover with film and leave at room temperature for 12–24 hours.
4
Mix the starter with the other ingredients. At first, it may seem like there is too much flour, but do not add water; continue kneading until you get a uniform, smooth, and sticky dough.
- Wheat flour: 415 g
- Water: 310 ml
- Dry yeast: 4 g
- Salt: 5 g
5
Cover the bowl with dough with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 45 minutes.
6
Moisten your hands with water, take one edge of the dough in the bowl, pull it up and fold the dough in half. Turn the bowl 90 degrees, stretch the edge of the dough and fold it in half again, then turn the bowl again and stretch and fold the third edge of the dough; do the same with the fourth edge. Cover with plastic wrap and leave for another 45 minutes. Repeat this procedure two more times, letting it rest for 45 minutes each time.
7
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees, place a heat-resistant pan at the bottom, and warm an inverted baking sheet in the middle. On a floured surface, divide the dough into two equal parts and shape rectangular loaves with wet hands.
8
Transfer them to a parchment sprinkled with semolina, dust with flour, cover with a towel, and let sit for an hour.
- Semola (durum wheat semolina flour): to taste
9
Transfer the parchment with the bread to a hot baking tray, toss ice into the pan at the bottom of the oven, place the bread tray and immediately close the oven. Bake the bread for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and it sounds hollow when tapped.
10
The ciabatta needs to cool before slicing.
