This Ciabatta Bread recipe from Bake Good is perfect – recommended for experts, this classic recipe makes two loaves and is a wonderful way to hone your baking skills on a gloomy, wet day.
Ingredients
- 4 cups bread flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/4 cup warm water (100 to 110°F)
- 1 (2-1/4 tsp.) envelope Fleischmann’s Traditional Yeast
- 1-3/4 cups room temperature water
- 1-1/2 tablespoons blended oil
Directions
1. Place flour, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl and set aside.
2. Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water in a small bowl; let stand for 3 to 5 minutes. Pour the yeast mixture, room-temperature water, and oil into the dry ingredients. Mix for 5 to 7 minutes on high speed of an electric mixer, until the dough pulls away from the bowl. Mix 1 minute longer.
3. Place dough in a greased bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Let rise for 45 minutes in a warm draft-free area.
4. Oil hands to prevent sticking. Scoop underneath half of the dough with your hand, lift one side of the dough up, and fold over to another side of the bowl. Replace the plastic wrap over the dough and let rise for 45 minutes.
5. Oil hands and divide the dough with a knife by cutting down the middle of the dough. Gently lift half of the dough from the bowl with one hand and use the other hand to pinch off and separate the dough (the dough will be very wet and sticky). Handle dough carefully so as not to lose air bubbles. Place dough in an oval shape (approximately 9 x 5 inches) on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Once placed on a sheet, do not move. Repeat for another half of the dough.
6. Press fingers into a dough (about 1/4-inch deep) to make indents, approximately 12 indents per loaf**. Loosely cover each loaf with oiled plastic wrap to prevent sticking. Let rise for 45 minutes.
7. Again, press indents into a dough and cover with oiled plastic wrap. Let the dough rise for an additional 45 minutes. Take the plastic wrap off and lightly poke indents in the dough. Place in preheated 425°F oven for 15 to 25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
Optional:
To create a thick, chewy crust, periodically spray bread with a little water while baking. OR remove the baked bread from the sheet and place it directly onto a hot oven rack. Turn the oven off. Crack the oven door to let hot air slowly escape. Allow bread to cool to room temperature in the oven before removing it.
Folding the dough over halfway will distribute the yeast and allow it to feed more easily and allows for the release of built-up carbon dioxide.
Poking indents give the bread a rustic look and also contribute to the release of carbon dioxide build-up and yeast distribution, creating large open bubbles in the loaf.