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Last Updated on June 10, 2020 by Leyla Kazim
A straightforward Italian ciabatta recipe that’s relatively easy and supremely satisfying to make. It’s by Paul Hollywood from his awesome book ‘How to Bake’. Get that olive oil and balsamic vinegar mix ready for dipping.
The types of bread I particularly like are the ones you can glance at and instantly recognise what they are from appearance alone. That is a baguette. That is focaccia. Those are chapatis.
Last night’s cookbook perusal was in search for such a recipe, and that could be mixed and proving prior to starting work at 9am in my office for the day, my dining room. Paul Hollywood threw one up I hadn’t tried before and that I certainly wouldn’t turn away for lunch – ciabatta.
A notoriously wet dough precedes this bread. And for once, Paul heavily advises to use an electric mixer because of this. The extra water in the dough turns to steam during the baking process, creating the signature air pockets and open texture. All of this water makes the mix very sloppy. But boy do you get a result at the end.
Italian ciabatta by Paul Hollywood
A straightforward Italian ciabatta recipe that's relatively easy and supremely satisfying to make. It's by Paul Hollywood from his awesome book 'How to Bake'.
4.81 from 21 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Bread
Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 2 hours
Bake Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4 loaves
Calories: 552kcal
Author: Leyla Kazim
Equipment
Square container
Baking trays
Electric mixer
Ingredients
- 500 g strong white bread flour plus extra for dusting
- 10 g fine sea salt
- 10 g instant yeast
- 40 ml olive oil
- 400 ml tepid water
- Fine semolina for dusting optional
Metric - US Customary
Instructions
Lightly oil a 2-3 litre square plastic container. It’s important to use a square tub here to help shape the dough.
Tip the flour in the bowl of the mixer and add the salt to one side and the yeast to the other side, so they’re not close. Add the olive oil and ¾ of the water and begin mixing on a slow speed with the dough hook attachment. As the dough starts to come together, slowly add the remaining water. Then mix for a further 5-8 minutes on a medium speed until the dough issmooth and stretchy. See Tip 1 below.
Tip out the dough into the prepared tub and spread it so it reaches all sides and corners. Cover with a tea towel or reusable plastic wrap and leave somewhere warm until it has doubled or even trebled in size, 1-2 hours or longer. See Tip 2 below.
Once the dough has doubled or tripled in size, pre-heat your oven to 220C. Line two baking trays with baking parchment or silicone paper. If using baking paper, dust with lots of the strong flour.
Dust your work surface heavily with more of the flour and add some semolina too, if you have it.
Carefully tip out the dough (it’s pretty wet) onto the work surface. There is no need for knocking back, handle the dough gently so you keep as much air in it as possible.
Coat the top of the dough with more flour and/or semolina. Cut the dough in half length ways and divide each of those in half length ways also. You should now have four long pieces of dough.
Stretch each piece a bit length ways and place on the prepared baking trays. See Tip 3 below. Leave the dough to rest uncovered for 10 minutes.
Bake for 25 minutes or until the loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped. Cool on a wire rack. Do try and eat some whilst still warm though. Not difficult.
Notes
- After the 8 minutes of mixing, the dough is incredibly stretchy and elastic. Take a moment to have a poke – not many doughs look like this.
- I find an oven on its lowest setting (with the light just switched on) creates a nice and warm environment for optimal proving.
- It’s a bit tricky transferring these long pieces of dough onto the trays, because they’re so floppy and sticky. I used two long knives and slid them under each end, trying to lift them like that. That worked for the first couple, but not for the last two. I managed to use one knife and my hand in the end, rolling part of one end onto my hand and lifting the other with the knife. Either way, you’ll get them on the trays in the end.
Nutrition
Serving: 4Loaves | Sodium: 978mg | Calcium: 22mg | Sugar: 1g | Fiber: 4g | Potassium: 158mg | Calories: 552kcal | Saturated Fat: 2g | Fat: 11g | Protein: 14g | Carbohydrates: 96g | Iron: 6mg
Have you made or do you plan to make this recipe?Let your online community and me know what you think! Mention @TheCutleryChronicles or tag #TheCutleryChronicles. I love to see them 😊
I’m incredibly pleased with these. I’m pleased with how they’ve turned out – they look exactly as they’re supposed to, with the signature air pockets. They also taste fantastic – a deliciously flavour packed crust with a chewy texture, alongside a light and fragrantly olive middle. I’m also pleased with how they photographed, sliced and ready for my lunch.
In addition to that, this is a bread recipe that only requires a single prove unlike most, resulting in a far shorter time until the end result. This can only be good. Especially when you’re like me and think about your lunch while eating dinner the night before.
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