Bread Machine (90 page)

CIABATTA               
Makes 2 large loaves

C
iabatta
is one of the hottest Italian-style country breads made in artisan bakeries in this country today. Carol Field paved the way by including the recipe in her landmark book
The Italian Baker
(Harper & Row, 1985), and every serious baker I know aspires to master it. This is one of the best country breads you can make. It has a superb crust and flavor. The word
ciabatta
describes the look of the loaf, like a flat slipper or old shoe, hence the regional nickname “slipper bread” around Lake Como. This dough is a perfect candidate for the bread machine because it is so wet that it couldn’t be mixed by hand, except by a very experienced baker. (So don’t be tempted to add more flour when you see how wet the dough is!) In addition, the mechanical kneading time of about twenty-three minutes is just right for this dough. This bread uses a
lievito naturale,
or
biga,
a starter that is firm like a bread dough and rests overnight, so be sure to plan for a two- to three-day process leading up to the shaping of the bread and the baking of it in the oven. You will need a six-quart plastic bucket for refrigerating the dough. The combination of techniques produces a chewy bread with big, uneven holes, known as
occhi
or “eyes,” throughout the crumb. Half of this recipe could also make a dozen long grissini (see
Grissini
), or divide the recipe into 8 portions and make ciabattini, or sandwich rolls. This formula is my adaptation of one given to me by P. J. Hamel of the King Arthur Flour test kitchen. When this loaf comes out of the oven, I always think it is magic!

1
¹
/
₂
- OR 2-POUND-LOAF MACHINES

For the biga starter:

¹
/
₂
cup water

1
¹
/
₂
cups plus 3 to 4 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

¹
/
₄
teaspoon SAF or bread machine yeast

For the dough:

⁷
/
₈
cup warm water

2 tablespoons milk

2 teaspoons olive oil or canola oil

1
¹
/
₂
teaspoons SAF yeast or 2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

2 cups bread flour

1
¹
/
₂
teaspoons salt

To make the
biga
starter, place the water, 1
¹
/
₄
cups of the flour, and the yeast in the bread pan. Program for the Dough cycle. After about 5 minutes, scrape down the sides and slowly add another
¹
/
₄
cup of flour. When Knead 2 ends, remove the small dough ball from the machine and place it on a work surface. Hand knead in about 3 tablespoons more flour. You will have a smooth dough ball firmer and a bit drier than one for bread, stiff yet resilient. Return the dough to the bread pan and close the lid (you could press Pause, but I just leave the lid open. This takes all of about 30 seconds). The machine will continue with the rise phases of the Dough cycle.

When the cycle ends, press Stop and unplug the machine. Let the starter sit in the bread machine for 9 to 12 hours, or overnight. The dough will rise and fall back upon itself, become moist, and smell yeasty. (If you can’t make the dough right away, store the
biga
in a self-sealing plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before making the dough, or warm it in the microwave for 10 seconds, before breaking up the
biga
into pieces and making the dough.)

To make the dough, with your fingers, tear the slightly sticky starter into walnut-size pieces and put them back in the machine. Place the water, milk, oil, and yeast in the bread pan with the biga pieces. Add 1
¹
/
₂
cups of the bread flour and the salt. Program for the Dough cycle; press Start. At the start of Knead 2, add the remaining
¹
/
₂
cup of flour. The dough will be very wet and sticky like a yeasted savarin batter. Don’t add any more flour, just leave the dough alone except for scraping the sides into the center. The dough will end up elastic and shiny, but relaxed and slack, sticking to the sides of the pan. If you tried to mix it by hand, you couldn’t knead it on a work surface.

When the machine beeps at the end of the cycle, the dough will have almost filled the pan. The top will be smooth, but if you stick your finger in, it will be sticky. Spray a deep 6-quart plastic bucket with olive oil cooking spray or brush with oil. Scrape the risen dough into the container, give the top a light spray or brush with oil, cover, and refrigerate for 6 hours to overnight, but no longer than 24 hours. This long, cool rise is important for the slow fermentation and the flavor of the finished
ciabatta
, so don’t skimp on it.

Line a large, heavy baking sheet with parchment paper (some bakers use aluminum foil) and sprinkle heavily with flour. Turn the chilled dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, sprinkle lots of flour on top, and pat into a long rectangle about 5 inches wide. Divide into 2 equal rectangles across the middle and place each portion on the baking sheet. Cover with a clean tea towel and let rest at room temperature for 20 minutes to relax the dough.

Dust the tops of the loaves with some flour. Using the flat section of your fingers below the fingertips and holding them in an open splayed position, press, push, and stretch the dough, making a rectangle about 10 by 5 inches (the width of your hand). Your fingers will not press in some areas, so you will have a dimpling, flattening effect, which will end up producing the characteristic uneven texture in the baked loaf. Cover again and let rest at room temperature until tripled in bulk, about 1
¹
/
₂
hours. The loaves will stay flattish looking. Don’t worry, they will rise dramatically in the oven.

Twenty minutes before baking, place a baking stone on the lower third oven rack and preheat to 425°F.

Spray or sprinkle the loaves with some water and place the baking sheet on the hot stone. You can slip the parchment off the baking sheet and bake directly on the stone, if you like. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Prop open the oven door about 5 inches and let the
ciabatta
cool in the oven at least 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve. Wrap in plastic to store.