Sourdough Ciabatta Bread
How to make Sourdough Ciabatta bread, easy step by step instructions from start to finish
Ingredients
Method
- The poolish
- 200g / 7oz Bottled or filtered water
- 200g / 7oz strong white bread flour
- 200g / 7oz Sourdough starter
- The main recipe
- 250g / 9oz Strong white bread flour
- 140g / 5oz Bottled or filtered water
- 8g / 1tsp Salt
- To start the recipe; make the poolish a few hours or the day before.
- Add the poolish ingredients to a bowl, mix well, cover, and leave at room temperature for several hours; I make mine the night before.
- Next day or a few hours later, add rest of the flour and water and salt, plus the poolish to your stand mixer bowl (see the video for the best way to do this).
- Use the paddle attachment on the mixer, Mix on slow for 1 minutes move up to the next speed for a further 1 minutes then move to the next speed for approx 4 minutes or until the dough releases from the side of the bowl.
- Grease a clean bowl with a ½tsp of olive or vegetable oil; carefully transfer the sticky wet dough from the mixer bowl to the oiled bowl and cover.
- The next stage in making Ciabatta bread is to let the dough rest and rise for 3 to 4 hours, but the dough needs a quick turn 3 times, that’s every 60 minutes and 90 minutes for the 3rd and last turn.
- Follow the instructions in the video on how to turn the dough by hand.
- While waiting for the last 90 minutes rest period prepare a bakers chouche as shown in the video.
- After the last rest period, turn out the dough onto a floured surface (see video) and give the dough a good dusting with flour as shown in the video.
- Using a bakers scraper cut the dough into 2 loaves.
- Transfer the dough to the Couche using 2 scrapers as shown in the video, set your timer for 20 minutes.
- When there’s only 10 minutes left set your oven to 230°C / 450°F or gas mark 8.
- Place 2 baking tray upside down in the oven as shown in the video.
- To make the finished bread crispy you’ll also need a tray of hot water in the bottom of the oven, and a spray bottle with water in at the ready.
- After the 20 minute rise; transfer the dough to a parchment paper lined peel (see video for details) and carefully slide the dough onto the upturned trays in the oven, one at a time, give the inside of the oven a quick spray with the water bottle.
- Set your timer for 18m to 25 minutes depending on how well done you prefer your Ciabatta.
- Enjoy
Equipment & products used in my kitchen
