Ciabatta
(Slipper-Shaped Bread)
Biga (Starter Dough):
¾ teaspoon active dry yeast
½ cup warm water (105˚ F)
3 ½ cups unbleached bread flour
1 ¼ cups cool water
(Makes about 5 cups)
In a small bowl dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Set it aside until creamy, about 15 minutes.
Measure the flour into a bowl. Using a wooden spoon, form a well in the center of the flour and add the yeast mixture and cool water to the well. Using the spoon stir together all the ingredients until sticky and difficult to stir but nevertheless thoroughly combined. Cover tightly and allow to ferment slowly in the refrigerator for 24 hours before using. Store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. To use, rinse a measuring cup in cool water, scoop out the amount of starter needed.
Pagnotta:
1 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
½ cup warm water (105˚ F)
7 cups unbleached bread flour
1 tablespoon salt
2 ¾ cups cool water
¾ cup Biga (Above)
In a small bowl dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Set it aside until it is creamy, about 15 minutes.
Measure the flour into the large bowl. Using a wooden spoon, stir the salt into the flour. Form a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the yeast mixture, cool water, and Biga to the well. Using the spoon stir together all the ingredients until the dough is to resist to be stirred. The ingredients will come together fairly easily.
Now begin kneading the dough in the bowl, keeping one hand clean in order to hold and turn the bowl and using the other hand to work the dough. Vigorously fold the dough from the sides of the bowl to the center, rotating the bowl as you work. Pick up the dough and slap it back into the bowl several times and keep kneading vigorously. The dough will be slightly sticky but continue working it until it comes away cleanly from the sides of the bowl. This should take about five minutes. At this point turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Clean off any dough stuck to your hands and then knead the dough until it is stretchy, smooth, and fairly soft. This will take 15-20 minutes of kneading, including some one to two minute rest periods along the way for the dough to relax slightly and for you to relax too. Shape the dough into a ball.
Rub a large bowl with olive oil and place the dough into the bowl. Turn the bowl so that the surface is coated with oil. Cover the bowl with a towel and let the dough rise until double, about 1 ½ hours. Then follow Ciabatta instructions on the back.
Ciabatta:
Rub a baking dish about eight inches square or a rectangular dish about the same size with a liberal amount of olive oil. Turn the risen dough out into it. Press the dough evenly into the dish making certain that it fits the corners snugly, it should reach no more than one half way up the sides. Cover and let rise in room temperature until double, about 1 ½ hours. Gently invert the rising dough out onto a well floured work surface. Divide the dough into two rectangles working with one rectangle at a time, gently press out most of the air. Then pull the longest cut side furthest from you toward you half way over the dough so it rests on top at the middle of the rectangle.
Sprinkle some flour on the top of each loaf and gently turn each loaf over. Do this quickly and confidently and you will avoid leaving finger marks. Now the loaves are up right and each is topped with a flour pattern that will bake into the loaf later. Each loaf should be about 15 inches long, 3 ½ wide and ¾ inch thick. Cover and let rise a final 15 minutes.
Gently transfer the loaves onto a well floured surface then cover. Let rise for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, place a baking stone in an oven and preheat 425˚ F.
Mist the preheated oven with a spray bottle and quickly shut the door. Dust a baker’s peel with cornmeal. Gently transfer the loaves to the peel and mist them. With a rhythmic snap of the wrist slide the loaves on top the baking stone. Mist the oven again and bake the loaves until they are dark brown on the bottom, golden brown on the top and sides, and have a hollow ring when tapped on the bottom, in about one hour. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.