Ciabatta

 

For the starter

 

250g '00' flour

190ml water

15g yeast

 

For the bread

 

250g  '00' flour

10g yeast

190ml water

12g salt

 

For the starter, mix the flour with the water in a bowl and add the yeast. Whisk for three minutes and leave to rise overnight or for atleast eight hours.

 

Next day, add the rest of the flour and yeast to the starter and mix to a dough.

 

Add the rest of the water, little by little, to the bread mixture.

 

When almost all the water has been added, add the salt to the last of the water and mix together for a further five minutes, until a sticky dough is formed.

 

Place the dough into a large oiled bowl and leave to prove for an hour.

 

Turn the dough out on to a heavily floured (ideally polenta flour or semolina) then gently in the flour till coated and leave to rest for a further 30 minutes (the coating of course flour will help stop the dough spreading during cooking).

 

Preheat the oven to 240 centigrade/ Gas  mark 8.

 

Gently place the dough onto a  oiled baking sheet and shape into a flat ciabatta loaf shape.

 

Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, or until risen and golden-brown and hollow-sounding when tapped.

 

Remove and cool on a wire rack.