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Ciabatta Italian Bread
by
Dennis Weaver
This rustic Italian
is unique. The dough is so wet that you don’t even shape the loaf—just scrape it onto the baking pan into any interesting shape. The resulting loaf is flat and irregular; Ciabatta in Italian means “old slipper”. The extra moisture in the dough creates an open, unusual crumb. The is baked in a steamy environment, which creates a wonderful chewy crust. We hope you enjoy this authentic Italian bread.
Note: Each step in the mixing of this is simple and straightforward but to develop the texture, the dough must rise three times. Please allow up to three hours for rising.
Ingredients
For the sponge:
2 2/3 cups warm water (about 105 degrees)
1 7-gram yeast packet
2/3 cup olive oil
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon dough conditioner
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon flour (for dusting)
cornmeal to dust the pan
Directions
1. Place about 1/3 cup of the warm water in the mixing bowl of your stand type mixer, add the yeast, and stir to dissolve. Add the remaining warm water, the oil (at room temperature), the four cups of flour, and the dough conditioner. Using your stand-type mixer and dough hook, mix for five minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
2. Remove the dough hook, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand until doubled—about one hour. (Since this dough is very sticky, grease the plastic wrap if it will come in contact with the dough.)
3. Using your dough hook, stir down the risen dough and add the remaining two cups of
flour and salt. Continue mixing for about four
minutes or until the dough again becomes smooth.
The dough will still be more moist and stickier
than the dough for most breads. Remove the dough
hook, cover, and let stand until doubled—about
45 minutes.
4. Lightly grease a sheet pan and sprinkle it
generously with cornmeal.
5. Using a sharp knife, divide the dough in the
bowl into halves and gently scrape each half onto
the floured pan to form two rough-hewn loaves.
To protect its structure and texture, do not shape
or handle the dough. Using the remaining tablespoon
of flour and a sifter or strainer, evenly dust
the tops of the loaves.
6. Lightly cover the
with plastic and set it aside to rise again. When
the loaf is nearly doubled in size, when it is
still firm enough to hold its shape, and when
cracks appear in the dusted flour the
is ready for baking. The last rising should take
about 45 minutes, depending on temperature and
altitude.
7. To create crusty loaves, you will need steam
in the oven. Place a large flat metal pan on the
bottom rack of the oven to be used to hold water
and with which to create steam and condition the
crust. (Since high heat may distort the pan, the
pan should not be expensive—an old baking sheet
is perfect.) Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
8. Immediately before placing the
in the oven, mist the sides of the oven with water
using a spray mister and then pour two cups of
hot water into the steam pan. Be very careful—steam
can burn badly. To avoid rising steam, pour the
water in without holding your hand directly over
the pan. Wear an oven mitt and turn your face
away from the escaping steam both when you pour
the water into the hot pan and later when you
open the oven.
9. Immediately place the loaves in the hot oven
and quickly close the door to retain the steam.
Turn the temperature down to 425 degrees and bake
for fifteen minutes opening the oven after five
minutes to mist the walls again. After the
has baked for fifteen minutes, reduce the heat
to 375 degrees. Continue baking for another 20
to 30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown
and the
tests done. The interior of the
should reach 200 degrees. The
must be hotter than most breads to drive the moisture
from the loaf. A moist
will not hold a crust well. (Since different ovens
hold their heat differently, you may need to adjust
your baking time.) Cool completely on racks before
slicing.
Copyright 2003-2007,
The Prepared Pantry (http://www.prepraredpantry.com
). Published by permission in the Article
Directory: http://www.articlecube.com
Dennis
Weaver is a baker, a recipe designer, and a writer.
He has written extensively about baking including
How
to Bake, a comprehensive baking and reference
e-book--available free at The
Prepared Pantry which sells baking supplies
and tools and has a free online baking library.
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