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Sourdough Ciabatta

Ciabatta is a soft Italian bread, often used to make paninis. We base our version on a traditional sourdough starter, giving the Ciabatta a tangy flavor.

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 cups ripe sourdough starter
  • 1 3/4 cups lukewarm water
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil

Method
 

  1. Add all ingredients to stand mixer bowl and mix on lowest power until well combined. Increase speed to medium-high and knead dough for about 15 minutes.
  2. You may have to stop the mixer a couple of times to scrape down the dough hook and the sides of the bowl. The dough should be very stretchy, but add more flour if the dough is unmanageable.
  3. Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, cover and let rise for 3-4 hours.
  4. Cover a baking sheet liberally with flour and turn the dough onto the sheet. As the photo above shows it looks like a blob (although yours will not look quite like this - see my What I Did Wrong below).
  5. Divide into two loaves. Stretch one piece and place on parchment paper. Repeat with the other half. Sprinkle with flour, cover and let rise about 40 minutes.
  6. Place a baking stone on the middle rack in the oven and preheat to 475 degrees.
  7. Uncover the loaves, dimple dough with your fingertips, and slide onto the stone. Bake until the loaves are browned and internal temperature reaches 205 degrees, about 30 minutes.