This bread, with its big, shiny holes and amorphous shape, has taken America by storm, just as it did Italy during the past fifty years. Though it hails from an age-old tradition of rustic, slack-dough breads, the name ciabatta was not applied to this loaf until the mid-twentieth century by an enterprising baker in the Lake Como region of northern Italy. He observed that the bread resembled a slipper worn by dancers of the region and thus dubbed his loaf ciabatta di Como (slipper bread of Como). A new tradition was born. During the second half of the century, this ciabatta became the unofficial national bread of Italy, so closely identified is it with the chewy, rustic peasant breads of the Italian countryside. As with pugliese bread, the dough is not unlike that of many other Italian and French rustic breads, including pizza and focaccia, and can thus be made into many shapes other than the Lake Como slipper.

　　

Ingredients

makes two 1-pound loaves or 3 smaller loaves

　　3 cups (16 ounces) biga (page 107)

　　2 cups (9 ounces) unbleached bread flour

　　1 1/2 teaspoons (.37 ounce) salt

　　1 1/2 teaspoons (.17 ounce) instant yeast

　　3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons to 1 1/8 cups (7 to 9 ounces) water (or substitute milk or buttermilk for all or part of the water, see Commentary), lukewarm (90° to 100°F)

　　1/4 cup (2 ounces) olive oil (optional)

　　

Step 1

Remove the biga from the refrigerator 1 hour before making the dough. Cut it into about 10 small pieces with a pastry scraper or serrated knife. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let sit for 1 hour.

　　

Step 2

To make the dough, stir together the flour, salt, and yeast in a 4-quart mixing bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer). Add the biga pieces and 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water and the oil. With a large metal spoon (or on low speed with the paddle attachment), mix until the ingredients form a sticky ball. If there is still some loose flour, add the additional water as needed and continue to mix. Proceed as described in the poolish version.

　　

BAKER’S PERCENTAGE FORMULA

Step 3

Ciabatta, Biga Version %

　　

Step 4

Biga: 178%

　　

Step 5

Bread flour: 100%

　　

Step 6

Salt: 4.1%

　　

Step 7

Instant yeast: 1.9%

　　

Step 8

Water (approx.): 83.3%

　　

Step 9

Olive oil: 22.2%

　　

Step 10

Total: 389.5%

　　

BREAD PROFILE

Step 11

Lean, rustic dough; indirect method; commercial yeast

　　

DAYS TO MAKE: 2

Step 12

Day 1: 2 to 4 hours poolish or biga

　　

Step 13

Day 2: 1 hour to de-chill poolish or biga; 10 to 15 minutes mixing; 3 to 4 hours fermentation, shaping, and proofing; 20 to 30 minutes baking

　　The Bread Baker's Apprentice