Ciabatta Bread
Ciabatta is a flat Italian bread developed in Veneto in 1982, defined by its exceptionally high hydration dough. The flour-to-water ratio reaches 70 to 80 percent, making the dough sticky and difficult to handle but producing the bread's signature open crumb - large, irregular holes throughout the interior that trap olive oil when dipped. The crust is thin and crackly, shattering lightly when pressed, while inside the crumb is moist and elastic with a wheaty sweetness revealed through chewing. A long cold bulk fermentation in the refrigerator develops mild acidity and complex flavor. The bread stales faster than denser loaves, so it is best eaten the day it is baked. Its flat shape and crisp-soft contrast make it ideal for panini, dipping in olive oil, or serving alongside soup.
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Instructions
- 1
Mix flour, yeast, and salt; add water and olive oil, stir with a spatula. The dough will be very wet.
- 2
Cover the bowl and perform stretch-and-fold every 30 minutes, 4 times total.
- 3
After the last fold, proof 1 more hour until more than doubled.
- 4
Turn dough onto a floured surface, divide in two, gently stretch each into a rectangle.
- 5
Proof on a floured cloth 30 minutes, then bake at 230°C with steam for 22-25 minutes.
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