Ciabatta

Ciabatta

By Fexelea Published: August 30, 2013

• Yield: 2 loaves (06 Servings)
• Prep: 30 mins
• Cook: 30 mins
• Ready In: 9 hrs 0 min

This delicious Italian bread is wonderful for sandwich making or a side for a soup or pasta  

Ingredients

• 400 grams Strong White Bread Flour
• 7 grams Fast-action Dried Yeast
• 7 grams Salt
• 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 300 ml Cool Water
• 1/4 cup Semolina for dusting

Instructions

1. 

   It is best to make this recipe over two days. On the night of day one, mix half of the flour (1 and 1/3 cups), half of the yeast (1 teaspoon) and half of the water (150ml) in a large bowl. Mix until thick and well combined, cover and let rest for more than 6 hours (overnight is ideal)

   The next morning the dough will look like this.
2. 

   If you have a bread mixing machine such as Kitchenaid, you'll add the premade half dough and the remaining flour, water, yeast, salt and olive oil and mix them together for 15 minutes. If you are doing it by hand, mix the other half of the recipe (flour, yeast, water) and add in olive oil and salt - be careful not to add the salt on top of the yeast. You will then have to combine the two mixtures and knead.
   Knead for at least 10 minutes using This Method You will produce a smooth and elastic dough (and sore arms) that should be smooth, no longer sticking to your fingers, and elastic.

3. 

   Place the dough on a well oiled 3 liter tapper container and let it rest at room temperature

4. 

   *2+ Hour Wait* The dough should rise all the way to the top

5. 

   Dust a surface with a mixture of flour and semolina and very carefully tip the container and the square shaped dough onto it. Use a big and flour-dusted knife to cut the dough into two loaves, making sure not to press the air out of the bread.

6. 

   Prepare a baking surface with flour and gently place the loaves onto it, then dust with flour.
   Place the entire tray inside a large plastic bag for 15 minutes until your oven has heated to 220C (200 fan assisted)

7. 

   Bake the loaves for 30 minutes, then allow to cool on a wire rack. You can make sandwiches or use them as table bread, and if you have leftovers that have gone hard you can make your own fresh breadcrumbs for other recipes.

• Cuisine: Italian
• Course: Side Dish
• Skill Level: Moderate