Ciabatta Bread

Submitted by Julia Jutras

Here’s a recipe for Ciabatta Bread sent to me by my sister Teresa. The measurements are in weight (most European recipes are) and I wouldn’t recommend trying to convert it. It might ruin the recipe. You can get cheap kitchen scales at Target.

Ingredients

Sponge
water: 1lb, 1oz
yeast, fresh: 1 oz (or 0.4 oz. dry yeast, about 2 packets)
bread flour: 1 lb
olive oil: 6 oz

Dough
salt: 0.5oz
bread flour: 8 oz.

Mixing
1. warm the water to about 100*. Dissolve yeast in the warm water.
2. Add the yeast mixture to the flour for the sponge. Add the oil.
3. Mix to form a soft dough. (Use kitchenaid) Beat well for approximately 5 minutes or until the sponge starts to become smooth.
4. Cover and leave at room temperature until doubled in size, approximately 1 hour.
5. Stir down and add the ingredients for the dough. Beat for a few minutes to form a smooth dough, which will be very soft and sticky.

Fermentation
Cover and allow to ferment at room temperature until doubled in size, approximately 1 hour.

Makeup and Baking
1. Lightly oil sheet pans. Handling the fermented dough as little as possible, divide it into portions. Deposit the dough on a greased and floured sheet pan
2. Shape very lightly into rough ovals or rectangles on the oiled pans. The dough will be very sticky, handle as little as possible.
3. Dust the tops with extra flour. Proof at room temperature until the dough doubles in volume and the flour on the top starts to crack slightly.
4. Bake at 425* for about 30 minutes, until golden. Cool on a wire rack.