Ciabatta’S Dark Crust Indicates a Better-Tasting Bread

Ciabatta’s dark crust indicates a better-tasting bread. The aroma of the baking crust is absorbed by the loaf and gives it an irresistible ﬂavor.

“Making ciabatta for the ﬁrst time requires a leap of faith,” says author Sarah Black. “But follow my instructions here and the wet, messy dough will indeed become a crusty, ﬂavorful loaf of bread.” Ciabatta—Light-as-Air

This high-rising bread has a crisp crust n Italian, ciabatta means “slipper.” Italian bakers and an exquisite flavor Ihave so named this bread because the finished loaves can look like old shoes. While the shape of the loaf is rustic, the bread itself is light and porous and the flavor is delicately sour. BY SARAH BLACK If you’ve never made ciabatta before, you may be surprised at the consistency of the dough, which contains more water than other types of bread doughs. It may be difficult to imagine that the mixture—more like a cake batter than the foundation for bread—will actually become a crusty, flavorful loaf. Making ciabatta (pronounced chah-BAH-tah) for the first time does requires a leap of faith. Trust me. Plunge your hands into the sticky mess and follow a few simple instructions. My ciabatta is actually an interpretation of the Italian version, more a product of my imagination

than culinary tradition. The doughs are essentially Photos: Ellen Silverman

Working with one piece at a time and keeping the floured side facing down, pull five ends of the dough from the outside edge to the center, almost like you’re shaping a pouch. Press these ends down and flip the dough over.

Cup the heels of your hands around the dough and rotate it by moving one hand up and the other hand down, all the while pinching the Continue turning the dough until its skin is dough underneath with both heels of the hands stretched taut and the mass has been shaped to start shaping a ball. into a smooth ball.

Loaves from a Wet Dough

the same, but I shape mine quite differently. Italian yeast starter. A starter not only adds flavor, but it also bakers dimple the dough with their fingertips to pre- helps the bread rise higher and keeps it moist. If you vent the dough from rising too high and to give an do use a chef for your bread, you should know that uneven texture to the crumb. When I first started the effects of fermented dough can be unpredictable. experimenting with ciabatta, I was enchanted with Also keep in mind that if your chef contains salt, how high the loaves could rise when I skipped this you’ll want to use less salt in the ciabatta recipe. process altogether. Now I handle my dough as little as possible once it has risen. Instead of a flat, uneven THE FOUNDATION FOR A HIGH-RISING LOAF loaf, my ciabatta is a big, domed oval. Mixing and kneading are the most important steps of breadmaking. These steps lay the foundation that A STARTER ADDS FLAVOR will support the loaves as they rise and bake. Mis- AND HELPS KEEP BREAD MOIST takes made in mixing and kneading cannot easily be Because I make ciabatta every day, I use what is some- corrected later. times called a chef, a piece of dough left over from The high proportion of liquid in ciabatta makes it the previous day’s batch, to flavor the bread. The almost impossible to knead this dough by hand. I chef, which has fermented for 24 hours, has a mildly recommend using a heavy-duty electric mixer, such sour taste. For home cooks who don’t have a con- as a KitchenAid. But because it takes a long time to stant source of day-old dough, I recommend using a thoroughly incorporate all the water into the flour,

DECEMBER1995/ JANUARY1996 55 Copyright © 1995 - 2007 The Taunton Press For a natural non- stick surface, sprinkle there is a real danger of overheating the dough. An TURNING DOUGH INTO BREAD the loaves with flour overworked dough loses it elasticity because the The first few minutes in the oven are vitally impor- before setting them gluten has been stretched beyond its limits. To avoid tant to bread. As the heat reaches the dough, yeast aside for the second overheating the dough, I use a technique called cells increase their production of carbon dioxide rise. This will keep autolyse (ah-to-LEEZ). Developed by bakers in France, and the loaves quickly expand. Called “oven the plastic wrap from autolyse incorporates a resting period into the mixing spring,” this process sets the structure of the bread adhering to the process. The dough is mixed for three minutes, then for the remaining time in the oven. Bake the loaves sticky dough. allowed to rest for 20 minutes before the kneading is directly on a baking stone—it’s the quickest way to completed. During the resting period, the flour ab- transfer heat to the bread. If you don’t have a stone, sorbs some of the liquid, in effect completing some of use a very heavy steel baking sheet. Also, introduce the mixing process on its own. steam to the oven immediately before you put in The purpose of the first three minutes of slow mix- the bread to keep the crust from forming too soon, ing is to equally distribute all the ingredients. As the which could prevent the bread from rising its high- flour is moistened, the tangled est. To do this, set a dish of ice cubes on the oven gluten-forming molecules of floor, or wet your baking stone with water from a After the initial mixing, protein begin to unfold and spray bottle. combine with the water. Later, A dark crust means a more flavorful bread. I let the dough rest when the speed is increased for bake ciabatta until the crust is dark brown, almost kneading, the dough is stretched burnt-looking. At the end of the baking time, to avoid overheating. and compressed, developing the the sugar and starch at the surface of the dough loosely bonded water-protein begin to color and form the crust. The aromas from units into larger sheets of gluten. the surface diffuse inward and make the bread More and more pockets of air are incorporated here, more flavorful. and these largely determine the final texture of the Later, as the bread cools, the heat and moisture loaf. Later, as the bread rises, the fermenting yeast re- from the interior of the loaf and from the crust re- leases carbon dioxide into these pockets, which then distribute themselves to an even temperature. When expand when introduced to the heat of the oven. the bread has cooled completely, slice it with a bread For a high-rising loaf, handle with care. If you’ve knife. Cut gently and firmly with short strokes and made bread before, you’re probably used to slapping then take a look inside. If your bread has been prop- the dough against the work surface and punching and erly made, you’ll find a honeycomb of moist, translu- pulling it into shape. But when I make ciabatta, I cent bread surrounding enormous holes, and you handle the risen dough gently to preserve the gases so will understand the thrill I experience every time that the loaves rise as high as they possibly can. I cut into one of these lovely loaves.

1 ⁄2 tsp. active dry yeast 1 cup lukewarm water (110°F) 3 1 6 ⁄4 oz. (1 ⁄2 cups) bread ﬂour Dissolve the yeast in the water. Add the ﬂour and stir to incorporate. The mixture should have the consistency of a thick batter. Pour the mixture into a lightly oiled con- tainer, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until tripled in volume, about 4 hours.

Ciabatta Dough In humid weather, you may have to add up to 2 ounces more ﬂour to the dough. Yields 2 loaves.

11⁄2 tsp. active dry yeast 1⁄2 cup lukewarm water (110°F) 2 cups ice water 1 cup starter (see recipe above) 27 oz. (about 6 cups) bread flour 1 Tbs. salt Shaping panini requires a light touch. The initial mixing—Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water and let stand for 10 min. In a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the Crisp and tender yeast mixture, ice water, starter, and flour. (Ice water, an unusual ingredient for bread dough, keeps the dough cool and prevents overheating.) Mix at speed #2 for little breads 1 min. Add the salt and then mix the ingredients for 2 min. to distribute all the ingredients. Let the dough The notion of working the dough as little as possible led me to rest for 20 min. At this point, the dough will look soupy. experiment with hand-cut rolls, called panini (pah-NEE-nee), Kneading the dough—After the rest period, replace the paddle attachment with the dough hook, increase the which means little breads. I shape these rolls with a minimum of mixer speed to #6, and knead the dough. The dough handling, so their crust is incredibly crisp and eggshell thin. The will be quite sticky. It has a tendency to climb the hook and stick to the sides of the bowl. Use a plastic dough bread itself is one of the most tender I’ve ever tasted. scraper to scrape the dough down often. During this After the first rise, simply pour the dough onto a lightly kneading period, keep one hand on the bowl to monitor the temperature. As long as the bowl feels cool, there’s floured work surface and cut it into 3-ounce rolls. I use a profes- no danger of overheating the dough. If the bowl begins sional steel dough cutter, but a bench scraper or a large chef’s to get hot, stop mixing and let the dough cool a bit. A towel soaked in ice water and wrapped around the base knife will work just as well. Put the rolls on a floured surface, of the bowl can help keep the temperature down. When cover with plastic wrap, and let rise about 30 minutes. Bake at the dough pulls completely away from the sides and bottom of the bowl (this should take 15 to 20 min.), 450°F until the crust is quite dark, 20 to 25 minutes. decrease the speed to #4 and knead gently until the dough is smooth and satiny, 4 to 6 min. The first rise—Transfer the dough to a large, oiled mix- just before putting in the bread. If yours is an electric oven ing bowl. Lightly brush the top of the dough with oil. with coils on the floor, wet the stone with water from a Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until tripled in vol- spray bottle. Using a baker’s peel or a baking sheet, gently ume, about 21⁄2 hours. The ideal temperature for fermen- transfer the loaves to the stone, taking care not to deflate tation is about 74°F, cool enough to allow the dough to the dough. I like to give the ends of the loaves a quick tug rise slowly and develop its characteristic yeasty flavor. to stretch them into ovals, but it isn’t necessary. Bake until the crust is dark brown, about 30 min. Remove the fin- Shaping and the second rise—Pour the dough onto a ished loaves from the oven and let them cool on a rack floured work surface and shape the loaves following the until you don’t feel any heat when you hold your palm directions on p. 55. Set the loaves in a cool spot, dust just above the loaf, about 1 hour. them with flour, cover them loosely with plastic wrap, and let rise again until doubled in volume, about 2 hours. Sarah Black distributes her Italian breads under the Baking the loaves—Put a baking stone on the oven’s name Companio, Latin for “one who shares bread.” lowest rack and heat the oven to 450°F. To prevent the loaves from sticking, sprinkle the baking stone with corn- She’s learned about baking and sharing from the folks at meal just before putting the bread in the oven. To make Tom Cat Bakery in Long Island City, New York, who steam, set a dish of ice cubes on the floor of your oven graciously share their ovens with her. •