Breads

Ciabatta

Ciabatta is a messy bread, one to use a mixer, as it needs a super, super wet dough. It should be very sticky, so don't add any extra flour beyond what's called for in the recipe. You won't be able to knead it by hand

Overnight
250g Italian type '00' bread flour
190ml water
15g yeast
To finish the bread
250g Italian type'00' bread flour
l0g yeat
190ml water
12g salt

For the overnight preparation, mix the flour with the water in a large bowl and add the yeast. Whisk for 3 mins and leave to rise overnight (or at least eight hours).

To finish the bread, add the remaining flour and yeast to the bread mixture and mix well. Gradually add the rest of the water to the bread mixture. When nearly all of the water has been added, add the salt to the remaining water and mix together for a further five minutes, until a sticky dough is formed.

Transfer the dough into a large oiled bowl and leave to rise for one hour. Transfer the dough to a heavily floured work surface and leave to rest for a further 30 mins.

Preheat the oven to 240 deg C

Cut the dough into three strip and stretch them out to make long, flat ciabatta loaf shapes. Place onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper and leave for ten mins. Transfer the dough to the oven to bake for 25 mins, or until risen and golden-brown. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Sourdough Ciabatta

Create a Sourdough starter

500ml starter (400g flour)
400ml lukewarm water
30ml lukewarm milk
600g unbleached all-purpose flour
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
100g drained oil-packed sun dried tomatoes, chopped (optional)
2 tsp fine sea salt

In a mixer, slowly add the milk and water to the sourdough starter until it looks like a soup. Gradually add the flour and mix for 5-6 minutes until it's turned to a sticky elastic dough. Add the olive oil - it should be ultra-sticky still

Knead for 1 minute and if you are using the tomatoes, add them now. Then add the salt and knead for another minute. Cover and let it rise until at least double, probably for about 2 hours.

Get three baking sheets and sprinkle them with flour. Take a spatula and carefully spoon out a third of the still very sticky dough onto each. Try not to deflate the dough too much, although it will deflate some, you can't really help it. Try and gently shape it to about a foot long. Use a spatula or floured hands to neaten up the edges, the lightly dust the top with flour. Let it prove for another 30-40mins.

Preheat the oven to 220 deg C and bake for 25-30 mins until very light golden brown, (maybe 22-25 mins if using stones or tiles).

Cool on a rack.

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