Ciabatta Rustic Hard Crusted Italian Bread Recipe

By Stina

Ingredients

• To make the Bread:
• For Sponge Starter Mix
• 1/8 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/3 cup room-temp water
• 1 cup bread flour
• To make sponge: stir together, warm water and yeast.
• Let stand 5 minutes, until foamy.
• Place yeast mixture to another bowl and add warm water and the 1 cup of flour.Stir for 4 minutes. Cover bowl with plastic wrap.
• Let stand at cool room temp at least 12 hours and up to 1 day.
• 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons warm milk
• 2/3 cup warm water
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups bread flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar

Details

Servings 1
Preparation time 60mins
Cooking time 300mins
Adapted from cookeatshare.com

Preparation

Step 1

Place in a small bowl yeast,milk and stir, let stand 5 minutes.

In a heavy duty electric mixer, using a dough hook, mix together milk and yeast, add sponge starter( from yesterday), water, oil,sugar and flour at low speed until flour is moistened.

Beat for 3 minutes.

Add salt and knead for 4 more minutes with dough hook on electric mixer.

Place this dough into greased oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap and a towel on top, place in a warm spot until tripled in volume about 2 hours.

Note: Dough is sticky and full of bubbles, this is normal.

Cut out two pieces of baking parchment paper.Place on cookie sheet and sprinkle flour all over it .

Turn dough out onto a well-floured board and cut in half.

Transfer each half to paper and form irregular ovals like a slipper shape, or you can make pizza's round personal size pan pizza shapes for Ciabatta pizza approx 9 inches in size. Dip fingers in flour and dimple loaves.

Note: For Alternative, omit dusting with flour, brush with beaten egg whites on top of bread dough and sprinkle herbs on top. I use a blend of oregano, basil, parsley and minced fresh garlic, red pepper flakes on top, a little Parmesan and pepper, all around 1/2 teaspoon, if measuring. I always make one plain and one herb crusted.

Cover with oil sprayed plastic wrap, a dampened kitchen towel and let rise 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours, until almost doubled.

If you are using a pizza stone pre heat stone for 45 minutes before baking bread. Otherwise use a pizza pan with air holes on the bottom lined with parchment.

If you have room for both, put the other loaf on another pan, place in oven. 425°F or until they're golden brown. Turn off the oven, remove the Ciabatta from the baking sheet, and return them to the oven, leave the oven door open a couple of inches. Allow the Ciabatta to cool completely in the oven; this will give them a very crisp crust.

Remove to cooling racks.