Ciabatta is a soft, porous Italian bread with a crispy crust. The secret of this baking is in a special brew. It is called biga and it is a “tough dough” with a long fermentation period. The "short" big is placed at least 10-12 hours before the dough is kneaded.
To bake a ciabatta at home, you don't need sophisticated technologies and exotic ingredients. Prepare food.
For big
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 glass of water at room temperature (20-25 ° C)
- 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
For the test
- 3 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 cups water at room temperature (20-25 ° C)
- 2 teaspoons of salt
Put big. Put flour in the mixer bowl, pour in water, sprinkle with yeast and use a hook attachment to mix at low speed until the ingredients are completely combined into a single mass, this will notice about 3 minutes. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 10-12 hours. After this time, the biga should become sparkling, airy, bubbly.
Start kneading the dough. Sift flour and yeast into a mixer bowl. Add water, biga, salt and stir with a hook attachment at low speed for 3 minutes. Increase speed to medium and knead until damp and soft, about 3 minutes.
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise to nearly double, which will take about 30 minutes. Press down on the dough with your finger - the dent shouldn't fill up quickly. Fold the dough towards you, lifting the edges, and gently push in the center to release the gas. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes.
Place dough on a floured work surface and dust with flour. With your palms, form an opening corner 20 by 30 centimeters and 2.5 centimeters thick. Cut the dough into two equal rectangles, cover them with a clean tea towel and let sit for another 15-20 minutes. Gently transfer the dough to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Gently stretch each rectangle to a size of 25 by 12 centimeters, cover again and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free place for another 30-45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 220C. Bake the ciabatta until golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. Finished baked goods appear hollow when tapped on the crust. Place the bread on a wire rack and let cool slightly. Never cut the ciabatta right after baking, the cavities inside it will fall off. At home, this bread is often eaten with olive oil, cheese and olives.
