"I Don't Have Time For All of That" Ciabatta

Ingredients

Dough

Everything goes in at once - no holding back

• 250g (2 cups) Bread flour
• 250g (2 cups) All-purpose flour
• 475g (2 cups) Water
• 10g (1 tablespoon) Instant yeast
• 10g (2 teaspoons) Fine sea salt
• 15g (1 tablespoon) Olive oil

Total flour: 500g

Hydration: 95%

Pro tip: This dough is extraordinarily wet. Your instinct will be to add more flour. Don't. Trust it. The flour stays on the outside during shaping.

Equipment

Method

Mix the Dough (About 20 minutes total)

Use the paddle attachment the whole time. Not the dough hook. The paddle has more surface area and can actually handle this wet dough.

1. Combine everything. Add all ingredients to the stand mixer bowl with the paddle attachment. Mix on low until no dry spots remain. It will look like thick batter. That's fine.
2. Rest the dough. Cover and walk away for 20-30 minutes. The flour is hydrating, the yeast is waking up, the gluten is starting to organize itself.
3. Knead with paddle. Start on slow speed, then work up to speed 8-9 on a KitchenAid. Let it run for about 15 minutes. You'll know it's done when the dough pulls away from the bowl completely and forms a ball around the paddle.

Wait: 20-30 minutes

Tip: Watch your mixer - it's going to jump around on you. Put your hand on it if needed, but don't stop. Let it work.

First Rise (30 minutes with one fold)

You've got 10 grams of yeast in here. This thing is going to move fast. It will run away from you if you're not paying attention.

1. Transfer to oiled bowl. Use wet hands and a bowl scraper to separate the dough from the paddle. Dump it into a well-oiled bowl. Cover it.
2. Rise for 30 minutes. Set a timer. Don't walk away and forget about it.
3. One coil fold. Wet your hands, grab under the dough, lift it up, let it fold over itself. Rotate the bowl, do it again. Four times total. Done.
4. Go Straight to the Bench. Once you've completed all four folds, move directly to the next step. No additional rest needed here. The fold organized your gluten. The dough is ready to work with now.

Wait: 30 minutes

Tip: Wet hands for sticky dough. If you're not wet, it's going to stick to you.

Shaping

The hard part of ciabatta isn't the recipe. It's moving these loaves around. From the counter to the couche. That's where people mess up.

Ciabatta Rolls (recommended)

Sandwich-sized pieces, perfect for filling

1. Prepare your surface. Dump the dough onto a heavily floured surface. And I mean heavily. Unlike other recipes, in this case it doesn't matter. The flour stays on the outside.
2. Pat into rectangle. Pat it gently into a rectangle. Just even it out a little. Otherwise you'll get a bulge in the middle. Don't deflate it. Don't roll it. Just pat.
3. Cut into pieces. Use a bench scraper to cut into sandwich-sized pieces. However big you want your rolls or loaves.
4. Transfer to couche. Use two bench scrapers, push in from both ends, squish the dough a little, place it down on your floured couche. Then pull your hands apart and the dough lays right where you want it. **Setting up your couche (or substitute):** Most home bakers don't have a linen couche. A heavy cotton tea towel or clean pillowcase works great. Lay it flat on a sheet pan, flour it liberally (this is the one time I'll tell you to go heavy), and create fabric ridges between each piece of dough so they proof without spreading into each other.
5. Final proof. Let proof for 20-30 minutes until puffy. Don't let them over-proof - watch them closely.

Proof test: The dough should look puffy and have grown noticeably. Don't let it over-proof or you'll lose those beautiful holes.

Baking

Steam is critical here. We don't have all that fermentation going on like we would with a biga or poolish, so we need to help the crust along.

Oven: 245°C / 475°F. Internal temperature when done: 93°C / 200°F.

Steam Injection Method

The burst of steam creates that incredible crust

Equipment: Baking stone or sheet, metal pan for steam

1. Preheat with steam pan. Get your oven screaming hot at 475°F. Put a metal pan on the bottom rack for steam.
2. Create steam. Right before the loaves go in, pour a cup of hot water onto that hot pan. The steam bursts out. Put a towel over your oven window so you don't splash water on the glass and crack it.
3. Load the loaves. Slide the parchment with the loaves directly onto your preheated baking stone or sheet pan. Close the door quickly to trap the steam.
4. Bake until golden. Set a timer for 30 minutes, but check them at 25. They should be deep golden, crispy, hollow-sounding when you tap the bottom.
5. Cool and listen. Set them on a cooling rack. Listen for the clicking sounds as the crust hardens. That's the bread song. It means everything went right.

Storage

• Room temperature: Best eaten same day. The crust is at its crackliest right out of the oven.
• Frozen: Freeze and refresh in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes when ready to eat.

Don't refrigerate - it accelerates staling. Freeze if you need to store longer than a day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why use the paddle instead of the dough hook?

The paddle has more surface area and can actually handle this wet dough. If you tried to use a dough hook, you'd be kneading all night. It's like moving a stick through water versus moving a paddle through water.

The dough is so wet - should I add more flour?

No! This dough is supposed to be extraordinarily wet. Trust the process. The flour you add during shaping stays on the outside.

Why are my holes smaller than traditional ciabatta?

The holes won't be as large as prefermented ciabatta, but they'll be big. And the crust will be amazing - that's the impressive part with this method.

How do I move the dough without deflating it?

Use two bench scrapers. Push in from both ends, squish slightly, place down where you want it, then pull your hands apart. Bob's your uncle.

Can I use this dough for a different shape?

This recipe is designed for ciabatta-style rolls or loaves. For other shapes, use a lower hydration dough that's easier to handle.

How do I transfer the dough from the couche to the oven without ruining it?

This is the trickiest part of ciabatta. Use two bench scrapers to lift and flip each piece onto parchment paper, then slide the parchment onto your baking stone. Never use your hands on wet dough. Watch the video in the recipe for a visual walkthrough.

Nutrition

Per serving (1 roll (about 125g)): 250 calories, 48g carbohydrates, 8g protein, 3g fat, 2g fiber, 290mg sodium. Makes 8 rolls servings.