Ciabatta
Photo: Vincent Talleu, CC BY-SA 3.0
Ciabatta is a flat, slipper-shaped Italian white bread with a crisp crust and an airy, porous crumb. This version gets its open texture from three rounds of stretching and folding rather than kneading, so the work is mostly waiting. A quick mist of water before baking gives the crust its crackle. Ciabatta first came from Liguria and became a standard sandwich loaf across Europe and the United States.
Instructions
Stir the salt and yeast into the lukewarm water until both have dissolved.
Add the sifted flour and the olive oil, if using, and mix until the dough looks uniform and smooth. Cover the bowl and leave it in a warm place for 45 minutes.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Stretch it and fold it over itself from all four corners, dusting with flour as needed to stop it sticking. Cover it and rest it for about 30 minutes, until it has risen.
Repeat the stretching and folding, which traps air pockets that make the baked bread open and light. Cover and rest for another 30 minutes.
Stretch and fold the dough one final time, then cover it and let it settle for 30 minutes.
Move the dough to a baking sheet and cut it into equal pieces. Shape each piece into a small elongated loaf.
Put the loaves into a preheated oven set to 430 °F (221 °C). Mist them with a spray bottle before closing the door so the tops turn crusty, and bake for 18 minutes.
Make it personal.
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