Sourdough Ciabatta

A ciabatta recipe, fermented using just an active sourdough starter! This is a high hydration dough that does a long rise in the fridge. It has the big holes and airy texture ciabatta is known (and loved!) for, and so much good flavor.

Welcome to the most laid-back sourdough recipe:

Mix the (4-ingredient!) dough, do some rounds of stretch and folds, and transfer to a baking pan to rise in the fridge. Then, dump it out onto a floured work surface, cut into whatever size loaves you want, and bake.

It's soft, it has the thinnest, most perfectly crisp crust, and it goes with so many meals. Ciabatta is one of my favorite breads to make because it is so versatile!

Oh, and if you have kids (or adults!) who protest the usual sourdough crust, I will be bold and say ciabatta might win them over. This crust is totally inoffensive even to my most passionate crust critics.

Stretch and Folds

This is a very high hydration dough. It will be sticky to handle, so be sure you wet your hands slightly before doing stretch and folds, and while I would love to tell you you can skip the stretching and folding, you really can't with this one! The transformation in the dough is really amazing.

3-4 rounds of stretching and folding are called for in this recipe. The first 1-2 I like to do regular stretch and folds (for detailed instructions see here), but for the remaining 1-2, I find it easiest to do coil folds. This is where you slide both hands under the dough on either side, pull up in the middle to lift the dough out of the bowl, then let the dough coil under itself as you place it back down. Turn the bowl 90-degrees and repeat.

The Rise

The dough will do a short initial rise following the stretch and folds. It won't double here, but you will see some activity in the form of bubbles on the surface of the dough when you go to put it in the pan for its final rise.

Part of what makes ciabatta so easy is there is no shaping! It rises in a 9 by 13-inch baking dish (or similarly sized vessel), then is turned out and cut into loaves.

A few hours after stretch and folds are done, you'll turn the dough out into a baking dish (no greasing required!), and cover tightly. Place in the fridge for 24-48 hours, until you're ready to bake.

This slow rise not only gives this bread AMAZING flavor, it also makes it really easy to handle during the cutting stage. Since this is a really sticky dough, it's easiest to cut and handle when it's cold.

Cutting

This part is so fun and satisfying!

When you're ready to bake your ciabatta, first you'll turn it out onto a generously floured surface (a generous amount of flour is kind of signature for ciabatta!).

You may need to do some coaxing to get one side loose from the pan, then the weight of the dough will pull the rest out.

Push the edges gently inward using a bench scraper to make a nice rectangle. Then divide into your desired number of loaves:

• For individual loaves (these are great for sandwiches), divide into 8 pieces.
• For larger loaves (best for slicing and eating), divide into 3 long pieces.

PS - making ciabatta is how I learned our fridge is not level. But this dough is pretty much unphased by anything. Just cut and carry on - it will be delicious!

Baking

There is no need to do a second rise after cutting your dough. Just put the loaves on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake in a 450-degree oven for 20-25 minutes, until they're puffed up and golden brown.

Cool for as long as you can stand it before eating!

Eating Ciabatta

Kind of I am joking, because I know you know how to eat ciabatta. But it is so versatile I have to share!!

• Sliced with all your usual bread spreads - butter, jam, Nutella, peanut butter, etc.
• As the most gourmet sandwich you've ever had - ciabatta with prosciutto, mozzarella, fresh basil, balsamic, a heavy drizzle of olive oil, good salt and pepper is *chef's kiss*. I eat this sandwich and think, "this would cost like $25 at a restaurant".
• Dipped into good herby dipping oils.
• TOASTED. This toasts so well. And makes me want to get a toaster where the bagel setting is called the ciabatta setting.
• As a bread accompaniment (butter/dipping oil optional) to so many meals. Almost anything Italian, so many grilled meats, roasts, salads.
• Sliced on a charcuterie board.