Ciabatta Baguette
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In this master artisan bread recipe, we’ll focus on one of the most revered breads: a cross between French bread and Italy’s best practice—the ciabatta. But here, we abandon the traditional baguette shaping concept entirely—a small liberation that may appeal to so many home bakers who find tension rolls and seam-folding intimidating. It starts with traditional-grade flour, spring water, and a whisper of yeast. That’s the entire equation. From there, we adopt a low mixing process—just until the shaggy threads come together. Then comes the true secret: a long, patient bulk fermentation, during which time and humidity build the gluten for us, silently transforming a sticky mass into something alive and elastic. Once the dough has risen and settled into itself, we split it in half. No rolling, no tapering. Instead, we proof the portions into soft, pillowy slabs on well-floured linen. When ready, we cut straight through each slab into rough baguette strips—earthy, irregular, and full of character. A final flourish: a generous drizzle of olive oil and a scattering of fresh rosemary, thyme, or oregano pressed gently into the top. Then, into a blazing oven they go.The result is an incredibly brown, glossy, crackling crust, an open honeycombed crumb, and the soul of both France and Italy—without a single baguette fold in sight.
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A cross between French bread and Italy’s best practice...
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What is Traditional Bread Flour
- Traditional French bread flour is specially formulated for crafting authentic French breads using time-honored methods. Learn more.
- Plan to bake 4 ciabatta baguettes every 42 minutes (allowing 22 minutes for baking and about 20 minutes for the pizza stone to reheat to 250ºC). To prevent the remaining dough from over-proofing while waiting to be baked, the 8 other ciabatta should be kept at a cool temperature, around 5 to 10°C. You can store them covered in the refrigerator, or outside if the weather is cold enough.
Basic Temperature: 75ºC
- This ciabatta recipe calls for a desired dough temperature (DDT) that is warmer than most bread recipes: 28–30°C versus the standard 24°C. This higher temperature is intentional, as the method incorporates three specific factors: a slow and short mixing process, a low amount of yeast, and a four-hour bulk fermentation interrupted by a degassing intervention every hour.For example, during winter, if the room temperature and flour are both at 18°C and the friction factor is insignificant (≈1 degree celsius).75-18-18-1= water temp set at: 38/39ºC.Summer: 75-24-24-1= water temp should be set at: 24/25ºC. You also want to lower even further the amount of yeast by 2.
Kneading
- First, pour the water into the mixing bowl and sprinkle in the fresh yeast. Add the flour and salt, then mix on low speed for 8 to 10 minutes max. Pause the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl and the dough hook.The dough does not need to be mixed beyond this point. We are not aiming for a fully developed dough that passes the 'windowpane test'; instead, we want the dough to be slightly under-mixed. The gluten network will develop during the bulk fermentation.
Bulk Fermentation
- Cover the dough and let it ferment for 3 hours. During this time, the dough must be degassed 2 times (once every hour).
- This bulk fermentation can take place in the mixing bowl; to degas it, simply turn on the mixer briefly each hour, then re-cover the dough.
Preparing Fresh Herbs
- Remove the herbs from the sprigs and chop them thinly.
Dividing Dough
- After 3 hours of fermentation, flour the work surface and the dough. Use the plastic dough scraper to release it from the edges of the bowl.
- Turn the bowl over (now, the skin is down), and lightly flour the surface of the dough.
- With the help of the large triangle dough scraper, cut the dough into two equal potions. Flour dough between cuts.
- Gently deflate it by giving it a few quick pats all over (skin side down). The goal is to release the larger bubbles that have formed here and there while keeping the smaller bubbles intact. Be careful not to smash the dough—the millions of tiny bubbles are the result of a properly executed bulk fermentation. Using as little extra flour as possible, fold it to form a fat oval slab.
- Once this is done, flip the dough over so the smooth side (the skin) is now facing up. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Proofing Ciabatta in Plastic Boxes
- Flour the inside of the plastic containers. Alternatively, it can also be oiled. Place the dough inside (skin side down touching the bottom). Unless you own a large oven, at home you would only be able to bake 4 baguettes at a time. Keep the other box in a cool place, between 5 and 10 degrees Celsius (≈47ºF). It will take about 2 hours to proof at 20°C (68°F) and about an hour at 26°C (80°F), until it has doubled in size. If proofing in the refrigerator, it will take approximately 4 to 5 hours. Remove the box from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.
Baking
- Preheat your conventional oven to 480ºF/250ºC with the pizza stone positioned on the bottom third of the oven for 45 minutes before baking your first loaf. The temperature of the pizza stone is the best indicator. It should be no less than 250ºC; the higher, the better.
- Lay the bakers couche onto the work surface and dust flour over. Flip the container over to release the proofed dough.
- Divide the dough slab into 6 baguettes. Lightly dust with flour between each cut.
- Since you can only bake 4 baguettes at the time, save the 2 extra baguettes onto the lid, covered and in the refrigerator. They will be baked at the end (third batch).
- Lay 4 ciabatta baguettes onto the hot pizza stone. At this point, they can be baked as is.
Adding Olive Oil & Herbs
- To avoid fat sliding off excessively, make some holes using your fingertips. Drizzle bread with olive oil and season with the chopped herbs. Spray water inside the oven, then bake the ciabatta for 15 minutes at 465°F/240°C. Lower the oven temperature to 390°F (200°C) and continue baking for 5 minutes. Turn the oven off and carefully open the oven door to let the steam escape, then leave the loaf in for 2 more minutes.
- Right after baking, season the ciabatta with more olive oil and herbs. Transfer it to a wire rack to cool. Immediately, reheat the oven to the same temperature and repeat the baking process for the remaining ciabatta.
Storage
- Store the ciabatta at room temperature for up to 24 hours, wrapped in cling film or a fragrance-free kitchen towel. For later events: To enjoy ciabatta baguettes as crispy as they were on the first day, store them in sealed freezer bags just a few hours after baking—they can be kept this way for up to two months. An hour before serving, place them in a preheated (220ºC) oven, turn it off, and leave them inside for 5 minutes. Let the ciabatta rest at room temperature for 20 minutes before eating.
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