Ciabatta
- Makes2 11-inch loaves
- Cook Time18 hours
- Active time plus cooling(1 hour active), plus cooling
- 1
Ciabatta means “slipper” in Italian, a reference to its low, wide shape. The bread’s characteristic thin crust and open, airy crumb are products of high hydration, meaning that the dough contains a high ratio of water to flour. The resulting mixture is wet and requires a different approach to gluten development than stiffer, more conventional bread doughs. Time is a key ingredient: it allows the flour to slowly absorb water while yeast works in tandem, creating CO2 that begins inflating and strengthening gluten networks. Simultaneously, the dough’s flavor improves via fermentation. We perform a series of stretches and folds on the dough, which slowly and gently builds gluten in a way that an electric mixer cannot. With each stretch and fold, you’ll feel the dough develop strength and tension while becoming more cohesive. Another factor that’s essential for ciabatta’s crisp crust is steam. You’ll need a spray bottle filled with water to spritz the bread before it goes into the oven, as well as after five minutes of baking. This keeps its surface moist, discouraging crust formation and letting the loaf expand. It won’t begin forming a crust until later, ensuring the crust is thin and crackly, not thick or tough. You’ll also need a rectangular steel or stone on which to bake the ciabatta. They’re extremely efficient at conducting high heat evenly, ensuring that the loaf gets good oven spring, as well as a crisp crust. And a pizza peel is the easiest way to shuttle the loaves in and out of the oven.
Don’t hesitate to liberally flour your work surface and dough as you divide and shape the ciabatta. Also, don’t worry if the loaves aren’t perfect rectangles. An irregular shape is part of the breads’ rustic charm. The dough inevitably will lose some of its airiness during shaping, but take care to deflate it as little as possible. Lastly, avoid dripping or misting water onto the oven door when spritzing the loaves five minutes into baking. Though oven windows are made of tempered glass, it’s still a good idea to make sure water doesn’t make contact with the glass when it’s scorchingly hot.
Step 1
In a large bowl, combine the flour, yeast, salt and 1⅔ cups water. Mix by hand until a wet, tacky dough forms; it will be dry and shaggy to start but will come together after a few minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 2 hours (the mixture may not double during this time), then refrigerate for 8 hours or up to 12 hours.
Step 2
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let stand until room temperature, up to 4 hours. Place the bowl directly in front of you. Dampen your dominant hand with water, then slide it down the inside of the bowl at the side farthest from you, all the way to the bottom. Scoop the dough at the bottom and stretch it upward, then fold it over the dough in the bowl, tucking it down toward the side of the dough that is closest to you. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat, remoistening your hand as needed. Repeat 4 more times for a total of 6 folds. Re-cover the dough and let rest at room temperature 1 hour.
Step 3
Repeat the set of 6 folds. Re-cover the dough and let rest again at room temperature for 1 hour. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 450°F with a baking steel or stone on the lower-middle rack. Cut 2 sheets of kitchen parchment, each measuring about 8 by 12 to 14 inches.
Step 4
Generously dust the counter with flour and gently turn the dough out onto it; try not to deflate it. Liberally flour the top of the dough. Using a dough scraper or bench knife, divide the dough in half, again trying to preserve its airiness. Sprinkle the cut sides with flour, then gently roll one half onto its cut side. Holding the short ends, gently pull the dough, stretching it from the center until it is roughly 10 inches long. Transfer to the center of one of the parchment sheets. Using your hands, gently dimple and stretch the dough, working outward from the center, to form a rough 5-by-11-inch rectangle of relatively even thickness. Repeat with the second portion of dough, placing it on the second parchment sheet. Drape a kitchen towel over each loaf and let rise until slightly puffy with a few bubbles across the surface, about 30 minutes. Have ready a spray bottle filled with water.
Step 5
Uncover the loaves and liberally spritz each all over with water. Using a pizza peel, slide the loaves one at a time with their parchment onto the steel or stone, placing them side by side. Bake for 5 minutes, then spritz the loaves again; work quickly to avoid letting too much heat escape the oven and avoid spraying or dripping water onto the oven-door window. Bake until the loaves are golden brown and the centers register 200°F, 15 to 18 minutes.
Step 6
Using the pizza peel, transfer the loaves with their parchment to a wire rack. Cool for about 5 minutes. Remove and discard the parchment, then cool completely.