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Ciabatta

High-Hydration Yeast Ciabatta

1844kcal
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Prep 35 minutes
Cook 25 minutes
Rise & Rest Time 19 hours 45 minutes
Total 20 hours 45 minutes
A wonderfully approachable, one-day artisanal ciabatta that develops an incredibly airy honeycomb crumb and a shatteringly thin, crisp crust. By pairing an effortless overnight biga preferment with a modern mechanical bassinage water-incorporation method, this beginner-friendly recipe builds supreme gluten strength and flavor without complex handling.
Servings 2 loaves
Cuisine Italian

Ingredients

Biga (Preferment - Prepare Night Before)
The Main Dough (Next Morning)

Equipment

Method

Biga Preparation (Night Before)
  1. 5:00 PM: In a medium square container, dissolve the 0.2g of dry instant yeast into 90g of water. Add the 150g of bread flour and whisk everything together until it forms an uneven, shaggy ball. Seal the container tightly with its lid and let the preferment develop at room temperature overnight until the next morning.
Bassinage Mixing and Structural Folds (Day 2)
  1. 9:00 AM: Look inside the container; the biga should have more than doubled in volume and display a highly relaxed, loose, and bubbly structure.
  2. In your stand mixer bowl, combine the initial 300g of water, all of the mature biga, 5g of dry instant yeast, 10g of salt, 315g of bread flour, and 35g of whole wheat flour.
  3. Mix on a low speed for 2 to 3 minutes (or speed 3 on a KitchenAid machine for 5 to 6 minutes) until the ingredients are well incorporated.
  4. Begin adding your 60g of reserved extra water very gradually, just a small splash at a time. This process is called bassinage. Do not add the next portion of water until the dough has fully absorbed the previous splash and wrapped itself back around the mixing hook. Mix until the dough pulls together smoothly.
  5. Lightly coat a rectangular container with olive oil and carefully transfer the wet dough inside. Close the lid tightly and let it rest for 30 minutes at 78–82°F (26–28°C).
  6. 9:30 AM: Wet your hands thoroughly with water to prevent sticking, and perform your 1st stretch-and-fold directly inside the container.
  7. 10:00 AM: Perform your 2nd wet-handed stretch-and-fold session.
  8. 10:30 AM: Perform your 3rd wet-handed stretch-and-fold session.
  9. 11:00 AM: Perform your 4th and final stretch-and-fold session. Close the lid and let the dough rest undisturbed for 30 to 45 minutes. By the end of this period, the dough must increase by 100% in volume (completely doubling). If it hasn't expanded sufficiently, allow it to ferment slightly longer.
Prespaping, Flipping, and High-Heat Steam Baking
  1. Generously dust your clean work surface and the top of the puffed dough with flour. Gently invert the container to tip the high-hydration dough out onto the floured surface.
  2. Fold the dough cleanly in half, bringing the non-floured wet sections tightly against each other. Using a bench scraper, cut the dough cleanly down the middle into 2 equal loaves. Dust additional flour over the tops and all around the raw cut edges of the ciabattas.
  3. Carefully lift and transfer each shaped loaf onto a floured proofing couche. Cover the ciabattas with a kitchen towel and let them proof for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Perform a gentle poke test: if the indentation bounces back slowly and leaves a tiny dimple, it is ready.
  4. While the loaves are proofing, place your baking stone on the center oven rack and your empty iron tray on the bottom rack. Preheat the oven completely to 500°F (260°C) for a full hour. Prepare 10 standard ice cubes.
  5. Once the oven is piping hot, flip the proofed ciabatta loaves over directly onto a sheet of parchment paper so that the original bottom side is now facing upward on top.
  6. Working quickly, open the oven door and slide the parchment paper with the loaves onto the preheated baking stone. Immediately dump the 10 ice cubes straight into the hot bottom tray to create an intense cloud of steam, and quickly lock the oven door.
  7. Bake with steam at 500°F (260°C) for exactly 10 minutes. Lower the temperature to 475°F (245°C), open the oven door briefly to remove the tray with excess water, and bake dry for an additional 15 minutes. Let your ciabattas cool down completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Nutrition

Calories1844kcalCarbohydrates365gProtein69gFat9gSaturated Fat1gPolyunsaturated Fat4gMonounsaturated Fat1gCholesterol15mgSodium738mgPotassium788mgFiber16gSugar2gVitamin A26IUVitamin C0.4mgCalcium113mgIron6mg

Notes

  • How to Measure Micro-Doses of Yeast: This recipe calls for 0.2g of dry instant yeast for the overnight biga, which standard kitchen scales cannot accurately detect. To easily replicate this at home, weigh out exactly 1g of yeast onto a flat surface and use a razor blade or knife to divide the pile into four equal quarters (roughly 0.25g each). Use slightly less than one of those quarters for the biga, or simply use a scant half of a 1/8 teaspoon measuring spoon.
  • The Importance of Inverting Before Baking: Right before sliding the loaves into the oven, you must flip them completely over onto the parchment paper so the bottom side faces up. During the couche proof, the large, delicate gas pockets naturally float to the top of the dough. Flipping the loaf forces those bubbles to the bottom; as the intense oven heat hits them, they expand rapidly upward through the wet dough matrix to create the iconic open, honeycomb ciabatta interior.
  • Troubleshooting Wet and Soupy Dough: Because this dough features a very high hydration level, it will feel incredibly sloppy and wet compared to standard bread dough. Avoid adding raw flour early on! The combination of the overnight biga and the step-by-step bassinage water additions provides the gluten network with the time it needs to trap the moisture securely. If your dough still feels like a runny soup after all the folding stages, verify that your bread flour has a protein content of 12.7% or higher.
  • Baking Without a Baking Stone: If you do not own a specialized baking stone or baking steel, you can still achieve a fantastic results. Simply flip an ordinary heavy rimmed baking sheet pan upside down and place it on the middle rack of your oven to preheat for an hour. Slide your parchment paper and proofed ciabattas directly onto the hot underside of the inverted sheet pan to replicate the necessary bottom-heat spring.

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