{Ciabatta}

So I baked some ciabatta bread and it was delicious, it took all day but what the heck, I'm home anyway, bossing around the little people, playing dominos and applying endless sunscreen. I actually made this bread because I needed it for that salad that you can see up there, the salad was a bit so so, but the bread, the bread was really good, just look at those big air holes, bloody good chewy stuff.


Its really late here, I've been wanting to post this all day but was totally busy spice, got loads done then went to the kinder xmas picnic and drank a bit of red with only a couple of carrot sticks and some chips to soak it up, feel okay though, happy even and a wee bit tipsy christmas time is rad.


..the ciabatta
500g bread flour
475g (2 cups) water
2 tsp yeast
2 heaped tsp sea salt


In a mixer, combine all ingredients whizz it up with the paddle, then let it rest for 10 minutes.


Continue with the paddle and whizz it for 10 to 30 minutes it will seem like a very sticky dough, if it starts climbing up the paddle too soon, then switch to the hook attachment (I didn't need to do that). You'll know it's done when it separates from the side of the bowl and starts to climb up your hook/paddle and is just coming off the bottom of the bowl.


Place into a well oiled bowl and let it triple! it must triple! It takes about 2.5 hours.


Empty on to a floured counter (scrape it out), cut into 2, 3 or 4 pieces. Spray with oil and dust with lots of flour. Cover with a teatowel and leave them alone for about 45 minutes, which gives you enough time to crank that oven up to 250c.


After 45 minutes or so the loaves should be puffy, pick up and stretch each piece into your final ciabatta shape (rectangle-ish) and flip them upside down (this redistributes the bubbles, so you get even bubbles throughout), and onto the floured baking paper.  Try to do it in one motion and be gentle, it might look like you've ruined them completely, but it'll be cool.


Bake for about 15-20 minutes, rotating 180 degrees half way through. If you think they are getting too brown turn the oven down to 220 after 10 minutes.