Delicious Homemade Ciabatta Bread

I really love to bake bread at home. The smell of freshly baked bread in the early morning always awakens the appetite.

My morning started with kneading ciabatta dough. This recipe is very easy as it uses yeast, not sourdough starter. Moreover, you don’t need a mixer or kneader. Everything can be done by your hand.

I always knead the dough for bread in a large plastic container or large glass bowl, it’s more convenient for me to do stretch and folds. Also, the dough does not dry out and always rises well. This is very convenient if you are the same lover of bread making, I advise you to purchase!

Cooking time: 4 hours
Baking time: 25 – 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 425 g (2 cups + 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp) wheat high-protein flour
• 325 mL (1 cup + 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp) warm water
• 45 g (3 Tbsp + 1 tsp) olive oil
• 7 g (~2 tsp) yeast
• 1 – 2 tsp salt

Directions:

1. In a large bowl or container combine the wheat high protein flour, warm water, extra virgin olive oil,  dry yeast and salt. Stir the ingredients with spatula well until they are evenly combined. You can add just a little olive oil (about 5 grams) and stir to help the flour and water mix even better. Loosely cover and let sit a room temperature for 2 hours.
2. After 2 hours of fermentation, the dough should be sticky, wet, very bubbly and fluffy. Lightly wet your hands with water and begin to pull the right hand side of the dough out and fold it back on itself, then repeat with the left (a “letter fold”). Rest the dough for 30 minutes, then repeat the letter fold. Bulk fermentation for 1.5 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 225˚C. Place a bowl of boiling water in the oven.
4. After bulk fermentation, turn the dough out onto a very well floured surface, straighten the dough a little and shape it into 2 equal parts. Transfer the dough to the floured parchment and make towel bumpers. Cover with a towel on top to prevent the dough from chapping and leave the dough for 20 minutes. 
5. Bake  at 225˚C for 30 minutes, or until it is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack before serving.