Name: Ciabatta
Yield: Makes 2 large loaves or 8-12 rolls
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 300 g strong white bread flour; ½ teaspoon fine granulated active dried yeast or instant yeast; 300 g room-temperature tap water, about 24°C; 100 g room-temperature tap water, about 24°C; 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt; Pinch of fine granulated active dried yeast or instant yeast; 100 g strong white bread flour; 100 g plain flour

Preparation info

Makes
2
large loaves

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Nick Malgieri's Bread

By Nick Malgieri

Published 2012

About

Ciabatta means ‘slipper’ and although the name refers to the fairly flat rectangular form of the bread, it’s also pretty slippery because the dough is so soft. It is manageable, yet it still requires care and attention when handling. Keep a bowl of dusting flour and a bench scraper nearby when you’re working with the dough and above all, stay calm - it’s just a piece of dough, after all. The addition of plain flour weakens the bread flour and makes a less elastic dough that bakes a better c