Ciabatta Bread and more

I found a great site for Bread Information called the Artisan where you can find a wealth of information and in-depth articles on ingredients. they also have some recipes there where I found this one.

Ciabatta - Indirect Method (Biga)

(Slipper Shaped Bread)

Adapted from a recipe in a "Molina Sima" recipe booklet.

Ingredients

Starter

3/4	Tsp.	Yeast - Active Dry or 3/10 sm. Cake Yeast (5 g)
1 1/4	Cup	Water - warm (300 g)
3 3/4	Cups	Flour - unbleached all purpose (500 g)

Dough

1 1/2	Tsp.	Yeast - Active Dry or 6/10 sm. Cake Yeast (10 g)
1/2	Cup	Water - (120 ml)
775	Grams	Starter from above
1/2	Cup + 2 Tbl.	Flour - unbleached all purpose (50 g)
1/2	Tsp.	Malt (2.5 g) - [See Note Below]
1 1/2	Tsp.	Salt (7.5 g)

Note: If liquid malt is used, dissolve it in the 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons of water, before it is added to the dissolved yeast. If powdered malt is used, add it with the flour.
Procedure

Starter

Dissolve the yeast in 1 1/4 cup warm water and allow it to stand for approximately 5 -10 minutes. Add the unbleached all-purpose flour (3 3/4 cup) and mix until the flour is absorbed and a firm dough is formed. Cover the starter and allow it to remain at room temperature overnight.

Dough

Dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup water and allow it to stand for approximately 5-10 minutes. Combine the flour (1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons), malt (1/2 teaspoon), and salt (1 1/2 teaspoons).  Place the flour mixture on the work surface (or in a large bowl), and make a well in the center.  Gradually add the dissolved yeast, and starter, mixing well between additions. Continue to mix until the dough begins to hold together. Knead the dough to a soft consistency.   Continue to knead until the dough is smooth and elastic.  The dough will feel sticky.

Place the dough in a lightly floured bowl, cover with a cotton towel (or plastic wrap), and allow it to rise at room temperature until doubled, about 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Turn the risen dough onto a flour dusted work surface. Divide it into two portions. Pat each portion into a rectangle approximately 4 by 8 inches long and dust each portion with flour.  Dust a piece of canvas (untreated, 100% cotton) or a proofing board (lumber core plywood) with flour. Transfer each portion to the floured canvas or proofing board. Dust each portion with flour. Cover the dough and let it rise at room temperature until doubled, about 1 hour.

As the dough is rising, place a baking stone in the oven and set the temperature to 500 F. Allow the oven to heat for 30 minutes.

Turn each portion of dough onto a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper, elongating and stretching it in the process.   Slide a baker’s peel beneath the parchment paper. Lower the oven temperature to 425 F.  Slide the parchment paper from the peel onto the baking stone. Introduce steam into the oven during the first 10 minutes of baking. Allow the dough to bake until it is a deep golden color, about 5 - 10 more minutes.

Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool on a rack.

I did have some problems (I put in 1 cup of water instead of a half) as I did get distracted my my kitchen helper.

Instead of baking it on a pan as they suggest I baked it in loaf pans as my family finds making sandwiches easier. The bread turned out well I cut it a little early and the photo does not show the texture as well as it could

 As I was Baking I received s book that I had ordered, Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Every Day.

Where I found a recipe for Pain a l'Acncienne Focaccia on page 57. the instructions cover 3 pages so I did not reproduce them here, so go buy the book it is well worth it. 

 

I topped it with Pizza sauce I had in the freezer, Sausage, and a mixture of Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.The taste was amazing and it was very filling.