World Flavors Cookbook

Ciabatta

Italy's most-exported bread — a wet, open-crumb loaf from Veneto with a crispy crust and intensely chewy interior.

Cuisine: Italy

Ingredients

• 500g strong flour
• 400ml water
• 5g dried yeast
• 10g salt
• 3 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

1. Combine flour, water, yeast, salt, and oil into a very wet, sticky dough.
2. Do not knead — instead, perform stretch-and-folds every 30 minutes for 3 hours.
3. Let rise overnight in fridge (long fermentation develops flavor).
4. Dust work surface with flour. Tip dough gently without deflating.
5. Cut into rectangles. Stretch slightly. Rest 45 minutes.
6. Bake on a hot stone at 220C for 25 minutes.