Ciabatta Bread
Ciabatta Bread, a rustic Italian white bread with a crisp crust and soft crumb, is versatile and delicious.
Ingredients
- 4-4½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 2 cups warm water approximately 113°F
- 2 tablespoons cornmeal
Instructions
- In a large bowl add flour, salt, yeast, and water. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated. (The dough will still be wet.)
- Cover and allow to rise in a warm area for 16-24 hours.
- When ready, use a spatula to fold the dough over a few times inside of the bowl.
- Fold the dough out onto a floured surface and use your hands to divide the dough into two equal-sized pieces.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon of cornmeal. Lift the dough halves onto the lined baking sheets. Shape each dough into a rectangle (approximately 8×4-inches).
- Sprinkle a little flour over the loaves and loosely cover them with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise again (about 1 hour).
- When ready, preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Bake the loaves for 22-25 minutes. The bread is done when the bread sounds hollow when tapped. Let cool completely before cutting and serving.