Ciabatta
Total time: 48 hours. Hands on time: less than an hour. Can be 24 hours if you shorten the cold proofing time, please see recipe.
These Italian “Slippers” are light and crispy. Traditionally made with yeast, this sourdough recipe brings deep flavors.
Ingredients:
450g bread flour
*see notes at the end of the recipe for a variation made with all purpose flour.
50g whole wheat flour
400g water- divided into 350g and 50g
100g levain/active starter (see FAQs for the difference)
10g salt
Method:
Autolyse: Mix flours and 350g water well and let it rest for 30-45 minutes.
Mix: Mix the remaining 50g water, levain/starter and salt into the dough. If you are using a stand mixer, mix it at a low speed for 5-7 minutes. If you’re hand mixing, use gentle squeezes to incorporate the ingredients, and when it comes together, move the dough to the countertop and do 3-5 minutes of slap and folds until the dough is smooth. Transfer the dough into an oiled container, cover and rest for 30 minutes. It’s best to use a 8” by 8” casserole dish because the dough will take on the shape of the final product, making cutting the ciabatta easier and you’ll have 4 even sized rectangles instead of triangles.
Folds: Perform 4 sets of coil folds over the next 2 hours. Always wet your hands with water before touching the dough. When you’re done with the folds, put the covered dough in the fridge for 2 days. If you prefer to bake the ciabatta the next day, leave the dough at room temperature for an hour and then put it in the fridge overnight.
Final proof and cutting: Take the dough out of the fridge and let it sit for one hour. Sprinkle the counter and the dough with all purpose flour and dump it onto the counter. Gently push in the sides so it creates an even square and cut into 4 rolls using a bench knife. It is helpful to use flour in this process to keep the rolls from sticking to everything. Gently creating space between the rolls is necessary. Leave the dough to rest for another 1.5-2 hours, covered with a kitchen towel.
Bake: Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. It’s better to use a Challenger pan, the Fourneau, or this type of cast iron to create steam. Steam at the beginning of the bake will ensure the biggest oven spring and the thinnest, crispiest crust. If you’ve had success open baking and creating enough steam, that is a great option as well. Flip the rolls upside down for baking and bake covered (or steamed) for 10 minutes, then release the steam and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Best enjoyed same day or frozen and toasted.
Notes:
To sub all purpose flour, reduce the total amount of water to 375g. Add 325g initially for the autolyse and another 50g when adding the starter and salt.
You can skip the autolyse if you don’t have enough time or your starter is beginning to fall. It is an extra step that kick starts the gluten development, but is not totally necessary.
If you prefer a softer ciabatta roll, you can add 25g olive oil to the dough when you add the extra water, salt and starter. If you do this, I suggest stand mixing and letting the dough mix for another 2-3 minutes.
If you do not have a flat bottomed baking vessel and also cannot create steam in your oven, liberally spritz water into your oven as you close the door and bake the rolls without steam, they’ll still be wonderful!
You can shorten the cold proof in the fridge to just one day or overnight. If you do this, let the dough ferment at room temperature after folds for an additional hour or two.