The MOST Amazing Ciabatta's Ever!

Crisp crust, full of milky large holes... so good!

I stumbled on this recipe last year at one of my favorite baking websites, The Fresh Loaf.  This incredible Ciabatta recipe is the most unique bread method I've ever seen.

Indeed, a no-knead bread, and in fact, you never really touch it with your hands.  I've heard some call it "glop" and I would have to agree.  There are a couple of secrets to this bread:

1.  Beat the living daylights out of it until the dough literally climbs up your paddle attachment.  When it starts to climb, switch to the dough hook and keep going.  You will see the gluten transform right before your eyes.  The entire process takes about 20-30 minutes on high speed in your KitchenAid Mixer... or 2 full cycles on high on your Magic Mill DLX.

2.  You must let this TRIPLE on the first rise.  This can take anywhere from 1 to 2 hours, depending on the strength of your yeast.
3.  Use two dough scrapers to handle the dough.  Getting them wet helps alot.  Use the scrapers to seperate the dough into loaves, give them a rough shape and finally, to flip them over onto your parchment.

4.  A super hot oven of 500 degrees is needed.  If you don't have an oven stone, you will have to use a cookie sheet.  You will still get a good bread, but not as crispy as cooked on a stone.

I usually make three medium loaves, or two larger ones.. the crust is crisp and crackly, the holes are magnificent and large.. the crumb is buttery with a delicate chew.  My family goes crazy for this bread and it's so easy, I can bake it often.  Try it for pizza.. it's so, so good!  You really do need a scale for this - if you have one, set it to grams and have a good time baking this bread!

Cocodrillo Ciabatta Bread
Recipe Author:  Jason Molina @ The Fresh Loaf

500 grams bread flour
475-495 grams lukewarm water
2 tsp instant yeast
15 grams salt

Attach the paddle attachment of your Kitchen Aid or the Roller if you have the Magic Mill.  In your mixer mix flour, water and yeast together for about 1-2 minutes until combined.  Switch off your mixer and let rest for about 10 minutes.

Turn your Mixer speed to high and slowly add the salt.  Beat the dough for as long as you can.  If using a KA, you'll eventually see the dough climbing your paddle.  Switch over to the dough hook and keep mixing.  The dough should lift off the bottom of the bowl, which tells you it's been mixed enough.  Keep a close eye on your mixer and at the final stages, it will bounce around quite a bit.  Hang onto it! 

Generously grease your raising bowl (I use a dough doubler from King Arthur Flour).  Pour your dough in the bowl and scrape out the rest.  The dough will be a massive, wet glop!  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to TRIPLE.  This is important, IT MUST TRIPLE!  This can take anywhere from 1-2 hours. 

Once your dough has tripled, flour a large spot on your counter generously.  Using two dough scrapers, seperate your dough glop into three sections.  Keep your dough scrapers wet with water to prevent the dough from sticking to them.  If it does, just scrape it off and wet down the scraper again and again.  Form each section into a rough loaf.  It will appear flat and that's normal.

Flour the top of the loaves once they are shaped, cover with a large piece of plastic (I use a garbage bag that is unused of course!) and let it rest for 45 minutes.  While your dough is rising a second time, prepare your oven.

Place an old pan on the bottom shelf of your oven.. even the oven floor is fine.  Preheat the oven to 500 degrees and let it get nice and hot - at least 30 minutes before you plan to bake.  If you have a baking stone, use parchment paper and flip a large cookie sheet upside down and cover it with the paper. 

When the dough has rested 45 minutes, take your two dough scrapers and get them nice and wet.  Using them as scrapers, grab your dough together, one loaf at a time, pinching it together and flip it upside down onto the parchment paper.  Reshape your loaf as you need.  Your dough will still look flat - no worries.  Try to fit two loaves on one sheet.  You'll have to get a second pan ready for the last loaf.  Don't bake two sheets together.. just one cookie sheet of bread at a time.

Flour the tops of your bread that has been flipped over.  Slide the dough on the parchment paper right onto your stone in the oven.  If you don't have a stone, just put the entire cookie sheet in the oven.  Bake for 10 minutes at 500 degrees, then open the oven, turn the loaves around for even browning and give them an additional 7-8 minutes.  Remove them from the oven and immediately place on a wire rack to cool.

Slice on the bias for big slices and enjoy!  Cut in half and make great Italian Sandwiches or use your Panini press for gorgeous panini sandwiches.  You can also form this dough on parchment into rounds or rectangles to make pizza's.  Pre-bake your pizza dough for about 6 minutes until set slightly.  Remove from the oven and add sauce and toppings, return to oven and bake for another 10 minutes at 500 degrees.  Enjoy!