CIABATTA

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Ciabatta image

Long before Emily Weinstein was the editor of NYT Cooking, she wrote columns about learning to cook and bake for the Food section's long-defunct Diner's Journal blog. This recipe, part of her penultimate baking column, comes from Sarah Black, who was credited for bringing ciabatta to New York in the early 1990s. Make sure to bake it to a very dark brown: Color is flavor here, and the deeply burnished crust makes for a fabulous end result.

Provided by Emily Weinstein

Categories     breakfast, brunch, dinner, lunch, sandwiches

Time 5h45m

Yield 4 small rectangular loaves, 4 inches x 8 inches

Number Of Ingredients 7

1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 3/4 ounces hot-to-the-touch water (about 100 to 110 degrees)
2 teaspoons iodized salt
16 ounces unbleached bread flour
13 ounces room-temperature water
Vegetable oil (for coating the bowls)
Cornmeal (for sprinkling on the baking stone)

Steps:

  • Sprinkle the yeast on top of the 1 3/4 ounces of hot water to let it dissolve, and set aside. Sprinkle the salt on top of the flour and stir to incorporate. Make a well in the center of the flour - salt mixture, and add the cool water little by little.
  • After the yeast has dissolved into the warm water, add it to the mixture, stir to incorporate, then stop and let the mixture sit for 30 minutes. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and write the time with permanent marker on the top.
  • After 30 minutes, sprinkle flour on your work surface, then scrape the dough out onto it. Tap your hands in a little flour, then gently flatten the dough into a rectangle, with the short side facing you. Using a bench scraper, flip the top edge down to just below the center, then flip the bottom side up above the center. Do the same with each side, then turn dough over and dust off the flour. Place the folded dough in a a bowl slicked with vegetable oil and let it sit for 30 minutes, again, covered with plastic wrap with the time written on it.
  • Fold the dough again, using the same method as above. Place the dough in a second oiled bowl, covered with plastic, and let it ferment until it has doubled in volume, 1 to 2 hours.
  • As the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 475 degrees, and put a baking stone on the middle rack, and an empty pan (for water) on the bottom rack. After the dough has doubled in volume, sprinkle a little more flour onto your workspace. Then, sprinkle a lot of flour onto the back of a baking sheet. Scrape the dough out onto the counter, tap your hands in flour, and gently flatten the dough into a large, even rectangle of approximately 12" x 8" x 1" high. Use a bench scraper or a knife to cut the dough into 4 equal pieces, approximately 3" wide and 8" long. Fold each piece, top-down to center, then bottom-up to above-center, in the same way you folded the dough in step 3. Place each folded piece seam-side down on the floured baking sheet. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and let it rise for 30 to 60 minutes, or until the dough has doubled in volume.
  • Sprinkle more flour on the counter. Take one ciabatta piece at a time and stretch it very gently to lengthen. Turn it upside-down and place back onto the back of the floured sheet tray.
  • After all of the pieces have been stretched, sprinkle 4 tablespoons of a mixture of half cornmeal and half flour on the baking stone. Shuttle the ciabatta pieces off the sheet tray and onto the stone. To shuttle, first gently move the sheet tray back and forth to loosen the dough, then, as the pan is held above the baking stone, a quick shake up and down should help slide the dough onto the actual stone. (If you prefer, you can pick up and balance the piece of dough with two hands or even try to move it with the help of a spatula; you just want to get the loaves onto the stone.) Pour water into the pan on the bottom rack in order to make steam; you can also spritz the loaves with water. Avert your face as you pour the water and quickly close the oven door.
  • The dough should bake to a very dark brown in approximately 30 minutes. Let the bread cool before cutting into it.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 220, UnsaturatedFat 2 grams, Carbohydrate 41 grams, Fat 3 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 7 grams, SaturatedFat 0 grams, Sodium 259 milligrams, Sugar 0 grams, TransFat 0 grams

Jo√£o Gabriel Carvalho
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This recipe is a bit time-consuming, but it's worth it. The bread is absolutely delicious. I'll definitely be making this again for special occasions.


Moses Medina
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I'm not a big fan of ciabatta, but this recipe changed my mind. The bread is so light and airy, and it has a delicious flavor. I'll definitely be making this again.


Jayden Noffels
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I've tried several ciabatta recipes, and this one is by far the best. The bread is light and fluffy, with a perfect crust. I highly recommend this recipe.


Kevar Thompson
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This is a great recipe for beginners. The instructions are easy to follow and the bread turns out delicious. I'll definitely be making this again.


Cebolenkosi Luthuli
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I was disappointed with this recipe. The bread was dry and crumbly, and it didn't have much flavor. I won't be making this again.


Jakariya ahmed Muhid
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I've been looking for a good ciabatta recipe for a while now, and this one is definitely a winner. The bread is light and airy, with a perfect crust. I'll definitely be making this again.


kabir idris
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This recipe is easy to follow and the bread turns out delicious. I especially love the flavor of the olive oil in the dough.


Qaisar Dar
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I've made this recipe several times now, and it always turns out perfectly. I love the crispy crust and the chewy interior. This is my go-to ciabatta recipe.


Wame Kgethe
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I'm not sure what I did wrong, but my ciabatta turned out dense and heavy. It was still edible, but it wasn't very good.


GILBERT ESPINOZA
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I followed the recipe exactly, but my bread didn't turn out as light and fluffy as I expected. It was still good, but not great.


SRK MUSIC PORJEKT
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This recipe is a keeper! The ciabatta turned out so well, and it was so easy to make. I'll definitely be making this again and again.


Ctg Titu Bangla Tips pro
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I was a bit skeptical about this recipe because I've never had much luck with yeast breads. But I was pleasantly surprised! The bread turned out perfectly and was so flavorful. I'll definitely be making this again.


Yonas Kidane
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I've never made ciabatta before, but this recipe made it easy. The instructions were clear and concise, and the bread turned out delicious. I'll definitely be making this again.


Chrishay Martin
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This is the best ciabatta recipe I've ever tried. The bread turned out so light and fluffy, with a perfect crust. I will definitely be making this again.


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