Ciabatta is one bread I have wanted to make for a while now, but have always shied away because it requires baking in a steam-injecting oven to achieve it's characteristic crust and texture. Thanks to the direction provided by "The Bread Baker's Apprentice", I was able to replicate this result at home.
Day 1: Make the Poolish sponge
Ingredients:
2 1/2 c bread flour
1 1/2 c water, room temp
1/4 t yeast
Sift the yeast and flour together into a bowl. Add the water and mix until consistent. The dough will be soft and sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit out for 3-4 hours, until the dough forms bubbles. (It helps if you are using a glass bowl; you can see the bubbles through the sides of the bowl. Refrigerate overnight.
Day 2: Make the bread
Remove the poolish from the refrigerator 1 hr before you are ready to begin mixing.
Ingredients:
3 1/4 c poolish (~ the recipe above; measure to double check and adjust other ingredients if needed)
3 c bread flour
1 3/4 t salt
1 1/2 t yeast
6 T - 3/4 c water, lukewarm (can substitute olive oil or warm milk if you want a softer loaf)
Semolina flour or cornmeal for dusting
You can mix the dough by hand or with a mixer or food processor. I used a food processor so I will explain this method first. Sift the dry ingredients into the mixing bowl, then add the poolish. Measure 6 T water into the bowl and turn it on. Slowly add more water through the top until it gathers into a ball. The dough should be wet but not too sticky. Let it run for about a minute to knead itself. Turn it out onto a floured surface.
If working by hand, sift all dry ingredients into a bowl and add the poolish. Using your hand or a mixing spoon, repeatedly dip into the water and mix the dough around the bowl quickly until everything is evenly combined. Change direction occasionally. Continue for 5-7 minutes. When the dough is gathered into a ball, turn it out onto a floured surface.
Press the dough down into a rectangle and let it rest for 2 minutes. Stretch it out to twice it's width, then fold the long ends over each other (like tri-folding a paper into an envelope). It should be back to it's original shape. Spray the dough with oil, dust it with flour, and cover it with plastic wrap. Let it sit 30 minutes.
After a half an hour, repeat the directions in the previous paragraph. Let the dough rest 1 1/2-2 hours.
Next you will be setting the dough up in a couche. Essentially, a cloth you lay down and around the bread to support it while it rises. The book recommends using an old tablecloth; I used an old pillowcase. Make sure the cloth is covered with plenty of flour. Sprinkle the dough with flour. Divide it into 2 or 3 pieces. Roll each piece in the flour so it is coated evenly on every side. Lay each loaf on the cloth, and once more stretch out and fold so they are 6'' long. Make sure there is a wall of cloth between the pieces of dough. Spray the dough with oil, dust with flour, and cover with a towel. Proof 45-60 minutes, until swollen.
Preheat the oven to 500 F. If you have a baking stone, make sure it is in the oven on a mid-lower rack. Also place a cast iron pan or heavy-bottomed baking tray on the top rack. This will be your steam pan. Have a spray bottle of water on the mist setting ready as well. You will use this to mist the sides of the oven walls after the bread is in the oven.
Sprinkle the back of a baking sheet with semolina flour or cornmeal. Bring 1 c water to boil. When the oven is preheated and the loaves have risen, transfer the loaves to the sheet pan. Stretch them out to 9''-12'' long, pressing down the center with your fingertips if needed. Open the oven and slide the loaves onto the baking stone, or place the pan directly in the oven. Pour the 1 c of boiling water into the steam pan and close the door.
After 30 seconds, open the door and mist the side walls of the oven and close the door.
Repeat the previous step 2 more times. After the final misting, lower the oven temperature to 450 F and set the timer for 10 minutes. Remove the steam pan from the oven. After 10 minutes if the loaves are not done, rotate 180 degrees (if needed) and bake 5-10 mins longer. Mine did not need to be rotated and only baked for a few minutes longer.
Transfer the bread to a cooling rack and cool 45 minutes before serving. The smell, taste, and texture were all spot-on!
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