Italian Ciabatta
Ciabatta, an iconic Italian bread, is celebrated for its distinctively porous, chewy texture and crisp, flour-dusted crust. Originating in the Veneto region in the 1980s, ciabatta was created as Italy's response to the popular French baguettes, offering a local bread ideal for sandwiches. Characterized by its broad, flat shape and somewhat elongated appearance, ciabatta is made from a wet, loose dough with olive oil, which contributes to its open crumb structure and delightful flavor. The high hydration level in the dough (usually around 80%) makes it particularly tricky to handle, but it's this very quality that imparts ciabatta with its unique, airy interior and light, yet satisfyingly chewy texture. When baked, the crust becomes beautifully golden and slightly crisp, offering a perfect contrast to the soft, porous inside. Ciabatta's versatility makes it a favorite in various culinary settings, from being the star of a bruschetta appetizer to serving as the foundation for a hearty panini, or simply enjoyed dipped in a fragrant olive oil or a hearty soup. This bread is not just a staple of Italian cuisine; it's a delightful culinary experience that embodies the simplicity and elegance of Italian baking.
Equipment
- Couche This is basically a linen mat used to place on top the ciabatta right before baking
- Bench scraper
- Proofing container
- Small wooden/cardboard board
- Peel to place the ciabatta in the oven You can easily use an upside down baking tray
- Ovenproof pot/pan This is used to place water and ice cubes in order to produce steam as the ciabatta is begins to bake
- Oven Pizza Stone
Ingredients
Poolish
- 294 gr Flour Preferable if a strong flour
- 294 ml water
- 1 pinch dry yeast
Dough
- 548 gr Flour
- 319 ml water
- 17 gr salt
- 3 gr Yeast
- 25 ml Olive Oil
Instructions
Poolish
- In a large bowl, combine the flour and water with a pinch of yeast. Stir until well mixed. Cover the bowl with a cloth and let it sit at room temperature for about 18 hours to ferment
Dough
- After the poolish has fermented, in a separate large bowl, combine the remaining flour with salt, yeast, and olive oil. Mix until the ingredients are just combined.
- Add the water called in the recipe to the poolish and add to the dry ingredients mixing everything until well combined (a few minutes). The dough will be wet and sticky. There is no real kneading necessary because we will use a bulk fermentation. The dough needs to be well combined and relatively smooth.
- First Fold: Let the dough rest for 45 minutes, then fold it over onto itself a few times and then place back into the proofing container and let rest 45 minutes.
- Second Fold: Fold it over onto itself a few more times and then place back into the proofing container and let rest 45 minutes.
- Third Fold: Fold it over onto itself a few more times and then place back into the proofing container for 45 minutes and meanwhile, place the pizza stone and an oven resistant pot/pan on the lower part of the oven and preheat it. Generally, an oven needs about 45 minutes to fully preheat.
- Based on how elastic your dough is, you might need to add a fourth fold. I usually do when I don't use a high protein flour.
- Gently turn the proofing container upside down and let the dough slowly pour onto your surface.
- Shape and Proof the Bread: Divide the dough into pieces and shape each piece into an elongated loaf. Cover the loaves with a cloth and let them rest for 10 minutes.
Bake
- Using a well floured wooden board or cardboard, transfer from the couche to the board and then transfer to a well floured peel.
- Place the Ciabattas in the oven on the stone and add water and ice cubes in the pan to create steam...quickly shut the oven door.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes at 250C but after about 10 minutes, lower the temperature to 230C.