Stonebaked Ciabatta Bread

How to make 2 Stonebaked Ciabatta loaves at home, the easy version, step by step instructions, from start to finish. The best Ciabatta bread you’ll ever taste.

Ingredients

Method

550g / 19½oz White bread flour
440g / 440mls Water (room temperature)
4g / 1tsp Instant or Active dried yeast
8g / 1tsp Salt

Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl.
Mix everything together until you have a sticky mass. Make sure you scrape down any dried flour stuck to the sides of the bowl.
Cover the bowl (I like to use a shower cap for this, link below) and set your timer for 45 minutes.

Once the time is up, stretch and fold the dough 4 times, (see the video for my stretching and folding techniques)
Repeat that procedure 3 or 4 times, resting for 45 minutes each time. This step is crucial for taste and structure development in the finished bread
After the last 45-minute rest period, turn out the dough onto a floured surface (see the video on how to turn the dough out of the bowl) and give the dough a dusting of flour.
Using your baker’s scraper, gently coax the dough into a rectangle shape.
Once shaped cut the dough into 2 loaves, once again using your scraper, once cut, tidy up the loaves.
Cover the loaves with a dry lightweight cloth and let them proof for 20 minutes.
Now place your baking stone or an upside-down cookie sheet in the middle of the oven and place a pan of hot water at bottom of the oven, set the temperature to 210°C / 410°F / Gas mark 7.
After the 20-minute rise, using 2 bakers scrapers, carefully transfer the loaves to a floured or parchment paper lined peel (see the video for details) and carefully slide the dough onto the baking stone or upturned trays in the oven and set your timer for 20 minutes.
Once baked, remove from the oven, and on to a wire rack to cool.
Slice and serve this amazingly quick and delicious Ciabatta bread.
Enjoy.