Ciabatta

Yields: 2 (1-pound) loaves or 8 (4-ounce) rolls

Chef's Notes: 
Ciabatta ("slipper" bread), which originated at Lake Como. is probably the most popular Italian bread one finds in local bakeries these days. Ciabatta is delicious simply toasted. I love it for panini or just general good eating. A warm proofing area where the dough can properly ferment makes all the difference, as does an oven that maintains a steady, even heat. Like most European-style country breads, this one uses a simple-to-make starter that needs to age 8 hours to overnight. It's easiest to mix it the night before your bread-baking session. The starter improves the flavor and texture of the bread, giving it depth and character. Note that Italian 00 flour is softer than American all-purpose, and certainly much softer than our bread flour. If you want bread more like that found in Italy, use unbleached all-purpose flour and mix it with 25 percent pastry flour or cake flour. This will approximate the Italian flour. However, you will still have a very nice
bread if you use only American all-purpose flour.

Starter Ingredients:
⅛ teaspoon active dry yeast
¾ cup warm water (110°F or less)
1¼ cups all-purpose flour

Dough Ingredients:
1¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting
1¾ teaspoons sea salt
Extra virgin olive oil
¾ cup warm water (110°F or less)

Starter Procedure:
In a heavy bowl, combine the yeast and 2 tablespoons of the warm water to soften the yeast. Add the rest of the water and the flour. Mix thoroughly with a large spoon or a heavy spatula, and loosely cover with a plate or lid askew. Let rest at room temperature for at least 8 hours; overnight is better. It must be very alive and bubbly.

Dough Procedure:
To make the dough: In the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the 1¾
cups flour, salt, and yeast and mix well at medium speed. Add all of the starter and the ¾ cup water, and
mix until all just holds together in a sticky ball. It will be hard to handle; add additional water if needed.
Continue to mix on medium speed for about 3 minutes, or until it begins to smooth out and is no longer
terribly sticky. Change to the dough hook and knead for another 4 minutes, until the dough is still sticky
but springing back on itself.

On a flat work surface (a baking sheet with sides is good), spread plenty of flour in a wide circle and turn
out the dough onto the floured area. Pat the dough all over the top with some olive oil, and dust with a thin
veil of flour. Cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let rest in a warm spot (about 75 to 80°F) for about
30 minutes. By using a baking sheet you can move it around to warm spots in the kitchen as needed. The
dough should start to bubble a little. Using a dough scraper, a large metal spatula, or your hands greased
with olive oil, pick up one edge of the dough, stretching it a little, and flip it over onto the center; repeat
with the other side. Let it rest another 1½ hours, flipping the dough in the same way twice more, about every 30 minutes or so.

Preheat the oven to 450°F for at least 30 minutes, having a heavy baking sheet or a pizza stone big enough to hold 2 loaves in the oven during this time to also preheat. Set the sheet or stone on the middle rack of the oven. While the pan preheats, form the loaves. With a dough scraper or large metal spatula, cut the dough in half and roughly shape each half into the classic slipper form: a rounded rectangle about 16 inches long and about 5 inches wide. Use your well-greased or floured hands to gently stretch the dough. Cut 2 pieces of parchment paper, each a little bigger than 1 loaf, and flour them generously. Flip each loaf onto a piece of floured paper. Cover with oiled plastic wrap, oiled side down, and let proof in a warm spot about 30 minutes. The loaves should almost double in size. Uncover and dust the tops of the loaves liberally with more flour. Dimple the tops of the loaves with your fingers, making little craters all over, but don't deflate the dough.

To Bake the Bread:
Slip a baker's peel or wide, flat spatula that completely supports the loaf under each loaf, one at a time, and slide the loaves onto the preheated sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the bread has a very dark, almost chestnut-colored crust. Mist the oven with water 2 or 3 times in the beginning of the bake to help develop a good crust, and rotate the loaves around the oven once, for even baking. If you like a darker, stronger crust, bake a total of about 40 minutes, or longer. Cool the bread on racks with plenty of air circulation to achieve a nice crunchy crust. Let cool completely.



Book: "Panini"
Book Author: Carlo Middlione
Publisher: Random House

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