Kitchen appliances and utensils: deep bowl for kneading dough, cling film, measuring cup, spatula, sieve, kitchen scale, teaspoon, towel, 2 baking sheets, oven.
Ingredients
Wheat flour | 320 g |
Warm water (approximately 38 degrees) | 280 ml |
Dry, fast-acting yeast | 7 g (1.5 tsp) |
Salt | 7 g (1.5 tsp) |
Sugar | 5 g (1 tsp) |
Boiling water | 100 ml |
Step cooking
- We add yeast, sugar to warm water and mix thoroughly. To check the quality of the yeast, leave them to approach for 5-7 minutes. If during this time a foamy cap has formed on the surface, then the yeast is of high quality, and you can safely continue cooking.
- Sift flour into a deep container for kneading dough. Add salt and mix. Pour the diluted yeast into the flour and knead thoroughly with a wooden spoon or spatula. The dough should be quite fluid and sticky. If you feel the dough is too thick, add some water. Or vice versa, if it is more liquid, add a small amount of flour.
- We close the container with cling film and leave it in a warm place for 12-15 hours so that the dough is well fermented. It is such a long fermentation that gives the ciabatta such a unique taste.
- After this time, as a result of fermentation, many bubbles form on the surface of the dough. We remove the film and very carefully crush. To do this, generously sprinkle flour on the table. A lot of flour will be needed, because the dough is very lively. Pour the dough from a bowl onto the flour. Sprinkle with flour on top. Hands stretch a little. And then we begin to stack the dough with a book. Next, brush off the excess flour from the dough with a brush so as not to wrap it inward. The result should be something in the form of an envelope, with the edges tucked inward. Leave the dough for 10 minutes, previously covering with a towel.
- After 10 minutes, repeat the whole process. If necessary, add a little more flour. Turning the dough a second time, turn it with a fold down, cover with a towel and leave for another 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, stretch the dough again and fold it again. We try not to squeeze or pat the dough. Then sprinkle with flour parchment baking paper and transfer the dough onto it. After that we stretch the dough, trying to form a rectangular piece. Dust with flour again on top and leave for proofing for about 1 hour, after covering with a towel.
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. We put two baking sheets in the oven. One is needed for baking ciabatta, it needs to be heated very well. On the second baking sheet, pour 100 ml of boiling water so that steam forms in the oven. We put the heated baking sheet upside down and gently pull the dough paper onto it. Pour water on the lower baking sheet, set the temperature to 220 degrees and bake for about 20-30 minutes. The baking time largely depends on how much the dough has increased in volume, and the features of a particular oven.
- To check the readiness of the bread, you need to knock on it from above. The sound must be muffled. Enjoy your meal!
Video recipe
In this video you will find a detailed step-by-step recipe for making Italian Ciabatta bread. The author tells in detail how to knead the dough, and for how long to leave it for fermentation. It also demonstrates how to stretch and fold a bread blank.