Ciabatta

A ciabatta, “slipper” in Italian, is rather flat and full of holes. The trick to creating the holes is to use a very wet starter, called a poolish, which allows for a very slow fermentation, and to avoid punching down the dough after its first rise. Because of its wetness, ciabatta dough will spread over any surface you bake it on. Baking the dough in a cake pan or baking dish will hold its shape in the oven. While not as picturesque as the classic slippe