Ciabatta Bread

This bread is delicious!  This is a modified version of a recipe from the cookbook "The Italian Baker."  This is a very wet, stick dough and not really possible to make properly by hand.  I've found that it's better not to rush this dough, as longer rising means bigger crumb holes.

Recipe:

Biga

1/4 teaspoon yeast

1/4 cup (60 g) warm bottled spring water

3/4 cup plus 4 teaspoons (200 g) bottled spring water, room temperature

2 1/3 cups (330 g) all-purpose flour

Stir yeast into the warm warm water and let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.  Stir in the remaining water and then the flour, 1 cup at a time.  Mix by hand 3-4 minutes or with mixer paddle on low for 2 minutes.  Remove to a lightly oiled bowl, cover and let rise at cool room temperature until triple in volume, 6-24 hours.  Refrigerate covered until ready to use, up to 5 days.  It can also be frozen.

Dough

1 teaspoon (3 g) yeast

5 tablespoons (76 g) warm milk

1 cup plus 5 tablespoons (315 g) bottled spring water, room temperature

1 tablespoon  (15 g) olive oil

2 very full cups (500 g) room temperature biga made at least 12 hours before

3 3/4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon (15 g) salt

Stir yeast into the milk in a mixer bowl and let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.  Add the water, oil and biga and mix with the paddle until well blended.  Mix the flour and salt together and add to the bowl and mix for 2-3 minutes.  Change to the dough hook and knead 2 minutes on low speed, then 8-10 minutes on medium speed until the gluten is working well and the dough stretches without breaking.

Place dough in an oiled container, cover and rise until fully doubled.  Turn the the dough out onto a well-floured counter and cut into 4 equal pieces.  You will need to flour the top and your cutting tool.  This dough is very sticky!  Roll each piece into a cylinder and stretch to approximately 10x4 inches.  Place seem side down on floured parchment piece and dimple the dough with your fingertips or knuckles.  Allow them to rise until very puffy but not quite double, about 2 hours.  Bake in preheated oven on a preheated baking stone at 425°F for 20-25 minutes, spraying the oven with water three times in the first 10 minutes.  Cool on wire rack completely.