Ciabatta
Source/Author: Mary V
"Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all foods; and good bread with fresh butter, the greatest of feasts." — James Beard
Ingredients:
| • sugar | 17g (1 tablespoon) |
| • salt | 10g (about 2 teaspoons) |
| • olive oil | for greasing and drizzling |
| • bread flour | 500g (about 4 cups) |
| • instant yeast | 7g (about 2 1/4 teaspoons) |
| • lukewarm water | 400ml (about 1 2/3 cups) |
1. In a large mixing bowl, lukewarm water, sugar, salt, and instant yeast. Add 1/3 of flour and mix with a fork. Cover with clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for about a 20 minutes.
2. Add remaining flour and mix the ingredients together until a shaggi dough forms. Once the dough comes together, transfer it to a clean, lightly floured surface. Knead the dough for about 10-15 minutes until it becomes smooth, elastic, and slightly sticky (about 7 - 10 minutes).
3. Place the kneaded dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover it with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 30 minutes.
4. In a bowl, stretch and fold the dough on four sides. Cover and let it rise for 30 minutes. Repeate 3 more times.
5. Divide the dough into two equal portions and shape each portion into a rectangular loaf, about 8-10 inches long.
6. Place the shaped loaves onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving enough space between them for spreading.
7. Cover the loaves loosely with a clean kitchen towel and let them rise again for about 30-45 minutes, or until puffy and slightly risen.
8. Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C). If you have a baking stone, place it in the oven to preheat as well.
9. Just before baking, lightly drizzle the risen loaves with olive oil and sprinkle them with a little bit of flour.
10. Transfer the baking sheet with the loaves into the preheated oven (or carefully slide the loaves onto the preheated baking stone if using one).
11. Bake the ciabatta loaves for about 20 minutes, or until they are lightly golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
12. Once baked, remove the ciabatta from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack before slicing and serving.
