Ciabatta

By DrChef

This irregular-shaped Italian bread is so called because it looks like and old shoe or slipper. It is made with a very wet dough flavored with olive oil; baking produces a bread with holes and a wonderfully chewy crust.

Ingredients

• FOR THE BIGA STARTER:
• 1/4 oz fresh yeast
• 3/4 -scant 1 C lukewarm water
• 3 C unbleached plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• FOR THE DOUGH:
• 1/2 oz fresh yeast
• 1 2/3 C lukewarm water
• 4 T lukewarm milk
• 5 C unbleached white bread flour
• 2 t salt
• 3 T extra virgin olive oil

Details

Servings 3

Preparation

Step 1

1. Cream yeast for BIGA starter with a little of the water. Sift flour into large bowl. Gradually mix in yeast mixture and enough of remaining water to form firm dough.
2. turn BIGA starter dough onto lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Return dough to bowl, cover with oiled plastic wrap and let sit in warm place for 12-15 hours or until dough has risen and is starting to collapse.
3. Sprinkle 3 baking sheets with flour. Mix yeast for dough with a little of the water until creamy, then mix in remainder. Add yeast mixture to BIGA and gradually mix in.
4. Mix in milk, beating thoroughly with wooden spoon. Using hand, gradually beat in flour, lifting dough as you mix. Mixing dough will take 15 minutes or more and form a wet dough, impossible to knead on a work surface.
5. Beat in salt and olive oil. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and let rise, in warm place, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until doubled in bulk.
6. Using a spoon, carefully transfer 1/3 of dough at a time to prepared sheets. Try to avoid punching dough down in process.
7. Using floured hands, shape into rough oblong loaf shapes, about 1 inch thick. Flatten slightly with splayed fingers. Sprinkle with flour and let rise in warm place for 30 minutes.
8. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 F. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped on bottom. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

VARIATION: for tomato-flavored ciabatta, add 1 C oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped, with the olive oil in step 5.