Well, it is getting closer and I am happy with the crumb. This makes a great sandwich loaf. I started at 80% hydration, thought, but had a mucky mess, so must have screwed up the water weight. I added flour to get the dough to a workable, but wet consistency. I re-read Peter Reinhart's instructions in ABED on working and shaping ciabatta and found I had missed a step. The oven spring was enormous on this loaf. Easily 3.5 - 4x spring. I wish I had a before photo of a proofed loaf perhaps 11/4" high.
Crumb:
Why we bake fresh loaves!!!
Hungarian salami, black forest ham and both grainy and Dijon mustard topped with salad was awesome! With a 350 gram total flour, I can now bake this fresh daily, give half to my neighbours, eat the rest and enjoy the good karma which comes from giving!
This old ski bum is in his happy place with a great day on the slopes today. Spring skiing in mid winter with 4C ambient temperatures, soft snow and perfectly groomed pistes! Coming home to a fresh loaf I bake baked this morning was a big bonus!
Happy baking! Ski
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Recipe and steps please!
ciabatta is known for. I'm pretty sure if you took the hydration up to 95% you would end up with the classic 'slipper' shape but why bother when it turns out like this for sandwiches anyway. But, just handling a 95% hydration dough is the fun part that no ciabatta baker should overlook, especially when the recipe calls for flipping the whole, sloppy, proofed mess completely over right before you slip it in the oven.
Well done and Happy baking Ski
I am not sure I can imagine working a 95% hydration dough. It is interesting that we both bake our ciabattas just after flipping. When I re-read Peter Reinhart's instructions in ABED I noticed that he leaves his loaves out to proof for an additional hour before baking. I was pressed for time, so just flipped and baked and I like the results. I will try the additional proof next bake and a couple of more practice runs at 80% before I try and up the hydration.
Happy baking! Ski
without r350 grams strong bread flour @ 80% hydration.
So
325g BF
255g H2O
50g liquid levain 100% hydration
7g salt
1 BS EVOO
Autolyze flour and water for 30 minutes or more, then add the levain and mix. Add the salt and EVOO and mix well. Let rest 10 minutes then do a series of 4 stretch and folds with 10 minutes rest. I bulk proofed nearly two hours then gently finished the dough as described by Peter Reinhart in his Artisan Bread's Every Day. Basically, I teased the dough into a 5"x9" rectangle and did two letter folds without pressing down too hard and turned the loaf over seam side down on well floured parchment, floured the top well and covered with plasticrap for a one hour proof. The loaf was turned and gently elongated just prior to baking. I baked at 500F for 14 minutes with steam, turned and 14 minutes no steam.
Happy baking! Ski
Well for an almost ciabatta this one looks awesome! It must have tasted great and certainly perfect for sandwiches. For the life of me I can't figure out how you are getting so much oven spring. I think if you increase the proofing time as you suggested that may make a difference. I have not made a ciabatta in a while but will have to try it again. Usually I don't think I get enough lift...maybe your yeast is super-charged! :)
Well I am still quite impressed in the oven spring on this bake. It was a baking weekend and I refreshed my starter three days in a row before this. I have my starter on the counter to refresh once again and will begin another 80% ciabatta project in the morning. Well man I don't know about supercharged yeast, but I sure did get big lift on this one. I will try and remember to do a before and after next bake.
Happy baking! Ski