Ciabatta

Ciabatta 

There are times in your life when you need courage and well courage is what I needed to switch from dry yeast to fresh yeast. Well this is mostly because storing fresh yeast can be very problematic but the trick is to cut it into small pieces and wrap it in cling film and store it in the freezer. Well anyway I have been wanting to make an antipasti for which you need the delicious Italian bread called 'Ciabatta' which is a kind of Italian cousin of the very famous Baguette.

Well its actually quite easy to make . What you need is just a bit of planning ahead because you need to create the 'poolish' or starter the night before you want to bake the bread and once you bake this amazing crusty bread with a delicious flavour you can create a fantastic sandwich , tasty appetizers or you can simply sip it in olive oil and it tastes superb.

Anyway moving on to the recipe :-

This makes two medium sized ciabattas and one large ciabatta

The source of my recipe are a few Italian blogs thanks to Google translator and BBC Food

Here is what you need for the overnight poolish

250gm all purpose flour
15gm fresh yeast
190ml lukewarm water
Pinch of sugar

For the final dough

250gm all purpose flour
190ml lukewarm water
10gm fresh yeast
12gm salt
Pinch of sugar
1 tbsp olive oil
Milk for brushing
Extra flour for sprinkling

For the overnight poolish

Proof the yeast by dissolving the sugar with 4 tbsp lukewarm water (Remember that yeast beign a living creature can die if the water is too hot. Ideally the water should feel just mildly warm where you can dip your fingers and comfortably keep it dipped) and then adding the crumpled yeast . Stir and let it sit for 5 minutes to 10 minutes. It will form bubbles which is the sign that it will work and you can move ahead . Mix the yeast with the flour and then slowly add the lukewarm water and mix with your clean hands . The dough will be wet and stick and it is supposed to be that way. Keep working with the dough till you see a shine and then cover with a cloth and let it rise for 13 hours to 18 hours.

After 18 hours of rise 

For the final dough

The dough once it has been transferred to an oiled bowl 

Proof the yeast and then add the yeast to the flour and then add the poolish and then slowly add the water and finally the salt and make a dough. It will be sticky and its supposed to be that way. keep kneading till the dough leaves the sides of the bowl and then oil your hands and grease a bowl with olive oil and knead the dough and transfer to oiled bowl and let it rise for another hour and then gently transfer this on to a heavily floured work surface and let it rise for another half an hour and then cut it into three equal pieces and gently stretch with your hands and transfer onto the baking tray lined with parchment paper and sprinkle some flour on it .

Before the loaf goes in the oven 

Let it rise for another half an hour and brush with milk (this helps in browning) and then preheat oven to 240 C and bake for half an hour reducing the temperature to 220 C after 15 minutes of baking. If you have a convection oven bake at 220C for half an hour. Take it out of the oven and then cool on a wire rack. You must let the bread cool completely before you slice it.