Ciabatta

By susanwadle

Ingredients

• 3 cups (400 grams)
• 2 t salt
• 1/4 t yeast (instant or active dry)
• 1 1/2 cups (350 grams) water (around 60 degrees)
• flour for dusting dough

Details

Servings 2

Preparation

Step 1

Mix all ingredients until they just come together. I use my kitchenaid but mixing by hand works well too. This dough will be very wet and sticky.

Cover and let sit overnight or for 12-18 hours and up to 24 hours.

Dough is ready when it has expanded to fill the bowl and has a flat surface dotted with holes.

Use a handful of flour to top your dough and scrape the sides of the bowl to loosen the dough. Handle lightly. Shape the dough into roughly 14" inch square. Fold the dough in half and then crosswise in half again so that you end up with a 7 inch square. Cover dough with a tea towel and rise for 1 hour.

Dough is ready to bake when you poke it and your finger mark stays.

Soak a clay baker in water for 10 minutes. Place the baker on a pizza stone in your oven and heat to 475 degrees about 1/2 hour before your dough is ready.

Carefully take the hot pot out of the oven. Cut the dough in half and shape into a long flat loaf. Generously cover the loaves with flour. Quickly stretch the dough to fit inside the baker when covered. Place dough in the pizza stone (bake one loaf at a time). cover with the clay baker.

Bake for 20 minutes with the lid on and then remove the lid to another rack in the oven to keep hot for the second loaf. Continue to bake for 10 to 20 minutes more until the bread is a light chestnut color.

Carefully remove bread and cool before eating. The inside of your bread is still cooking from residual heat.