Ciabatta is a highly hydrated Italian bread that leaves a crumb with many holes and a very crunchy crust. It is ideal for sandwiches and very easy to make if you handle the dough with your hands well greased with oil. If you like homemade bread, here are other bread recipes that can be easily prepared at home.
1. Prepare the ferment or poolish by mixing the ingredients and let it ferment covered with plastic wrap and covered with a cloth for 4 hours.
2. With the poolish already prepared (you will notice it because it has a lot of bubbles) add the rest of the water, flour and salt and knead for 5 minutes with the whisk or by hand.
3. Pour the dough onto a tray greased with oil and with your hands also greased, fold the dough into an envelope from the edge to the center and cover with kitchen film. Let rest for half an hour. Repeat this step 2 more times, leaving 1 hour of rest between them. (Times may vary, you have to wait for it to swell)
4. Preheat the oven to maximum temperature with heat only on the bottom and place a tray in the bottom of your oven.
5. Flour the work surface well, turn the dough onto the marble and give it a rectangular shape. Remove the tray from the oven and cover it with parchment paper. Cut the ciabattas into 3 roughly equal parts and place each ciabatta on top of the tray without touching. Keep in mind that the mass is deformed and this step must be done decisively and quickly.
6. Bake on the bottom for 10 minutes at 250ºC – 482ºF with bottom heat. After 10 minutes, place the tray on the second level of your oven and continue baking with heat up and down at 220º C - 428º F for 25 minutes.
7. Turn off the oven and let the bread cool in the oven with the door ajar for a crispier crust.
