Our Cookbook

Italian

Ciabatta

Ciabatta dough is extremely wet, so difficult to make by hand, but if you have a freestanding mixer it's simple. Don't be tempted to add more flour or rush the prove as it will spoil the the texture of the finished loaf. Equipment and preparation: for this recipe you will need a freestanding mixer with a dough hook attachment and a 3 litre/5¼pint square plastic container with a lid.

  • YieldMakes 4 small loaves
  • Prep2h
  • Cook1h
  • Effortproject

  • 500g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 10g salt
  • 20g fresh yeast (or 10g instant yeast)
  • fine semolina, for dusting
  • 440ml cold water

Method

  1. Add the flour, salt and yeast with 330ml cold water to a mixer bowl. Mix with a dough hook at slow speed until it starts to come together.
  2. Turn the mixer up to medium. Slowly add the remaining 110ml water. It will be wet!. You might not need all the additional water, so stop if it’s nearing a batter. Mix for 8-10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and stretchy.
  3. Lightly oil a 3 litre square plastic container with a lid and tip the dough in. Leave to prove for 1½ to 2 hours, until at least doubled (maybe trebled). Paul Hollywood says it’s important the dough proves slowly, otherwise it will collapse and your loaves will be flat.
  4. Dust two large baking trays and the work surface with flour and semolina.
  5. Tip out the dough trying to retain a rough square shape. Keep as much air in the dough as possible. Sprinkle semonlina over the top of the dough.
  6. Cut the dough lengthways into 4 pieces. Stretch each loaf lengthways, and place on the baking tray.
  7. Leave to rest for 30-45 minutes. Do NOT cover in cling-film, it will stick and be a pain to remove! If you need to cover it, try to keep the cover raised from the surface.
  8. Preheat the oven to 220C
  9. Bake for 25 minutes, when they should be golden and sound hollow.
  10. Leave to cool completely.