Ciabatta Bread: Richard Bertinet's Recipe

Step 1

Mix all ingredients together in a mixer, or by hand, for about 5 minutes until you have a rough dough

Step 2

Place in bowl covered loosely with plastic wrap and a lint free dishtowel

Step 3

Rest in a draft free place 17 - 24 hours

Step 4

Put flour in a mixing bowl; rub in yeast with finger tips as if you were making a crumble

Step 5

Scoop the ferment into the bowl; add water, oil, and salt, mixing well until combined

Step 6

Transfer to counter work surface with the help of the rounder end of your scraper or "D-shaped" bread making spatula

Step 7

Work the dough as demonstrated in the Sweet Dough video, below

Step 8

Mold dough into a ball; lightly oil a bowl with EVOO or avocado oil and place back in cleaned bowl, covered with a lint free towel

Step 9

Rest in warm place for 90 minutes, or until bubbly and light

Step 10

Flour work surface generously with white flour or cornmeal; with the help of the rounded end of your scraper, turn dough out onto counter in one piece

Step 11

Flour the top; press dough lightly and gently, dimpling it gently with your fingers

Step 12

Divide into four equal strips; fold each strip into three: fold one part of one strip over the middle third of the dough gently pressing to seal; bring the other side back over that middle third gently pressing to seal

Step 13

Finally, fold in half lengthwise, and seal edges

Step 14

Preheat oven to 475°F with cookie sheet or upside down jelly roll pan on oven rack to be heated to bake bread on

Step 15

Place pieces of dough onto well floured lint free dishtowels; cover and proof for 45 minutes

Step 16

Flour a wooden peel; pick up one ciabatta at a time, turn it over and stretch it lengthwise a little at the same time, and lay it on the peel

Step 17

Spray inside of oven with water, or throw 5-6 ice cubes in bottom of oven; quickly slide ciabatta dough onto "baking stone" tray

Step 18

Turn oven down to 435°F and set timer for 20 minutes: if you are par-baking the bread, set the timer for 15 minutes, cool loaves completely, wrap well, and freeze (Bake from frozen for 12 minutes at 400°F)

Step 19

Scale the flour and yeast into the TM bowl, and combine for 10 second at speed 4

Step 20

Add the ferment; scale in the water, oil, and salt and mix to combine for 30 second at speed 4-5

Step 21

Knead for 3 minutes; follow the instructions above from #5 onward