Ciabatta

Ingredients

• 15 g fresh yeast
• 700 g flour (Type 405)
• 5 tbsp milk (1.5% fat)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 20 g sea salt
• 200 g fine whole wheat flour
• a little flour (for handling)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Prepare the overnight starter: dissolve 5 g of yeast in 250–260 ml lukewarm water in a bowl and let stand for 10 minutes.

2. 2.

   Sift 350 g of flour into the mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon for 5 minutes until a sticky dough forms.

3. 3.

   Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 12 hours.

4. 4.

   The next day, prepare the main dough: dissolve the remaining yeast in warm milk and let stand for 10 minutes.

5. 5.

   Add 250 ml water (room temperature), olive oil, and the starter, then knead with a hand mixer’s dough hooks.

6. 6.

   Mix salt with the remaining flour and fine whole wheat flour, gradually adding to the dough while kneading for about 4 more minutes.

7. 7.

   Dust your work surface with flour, place the Ciabatta dough on it, and knead vigorously by hand for 2–3 minutes.

8. 8.

   Lightly oil a bowl. Place the dough inside, turn it over, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise at room temperature for about 1½ hours until very airy, sticky, and elastic.

9. 9.

   Cut the dough into quarters with a knife and roll each piece into cylinders on a floured surface.

10. 10.

    Gently stretch by hand so that the pieces become long and wide like fingers.

11. 11.

    Dust two sheets of parchment paper generously with flour and place the bread loaves on them.

12. 12.

    Press small indentations in each loaf with your fingertips. Dust two kitchen towels with flour, cover the loaves with them, and let rise for 1½–2 hours.

13. 13.

    Place the two Ciabatta loaves, parchment included, on a baking tray. Spray the oven walls with water. Bake in a preheated oven at 250 °C (220 °C fan or gas level 4–5) for about 20–25 minutes, then cool on an oven rack. Repeat with the remaining loaf.