GRAHAM THE BAKER’S CIABATTA

We have asked award winning Graham the Baker to come up with some recipes using our Strong - Italian Pizza Flour - Type 00. He has fine-tuned the quantity and method so that you can enjoy the perfect bake.

The recipe is based on normal room temperatures of between 18°C and 24°.

Ingredients:

• Water: 440g normal tap water is best (harder water is even better), straight from the COLD tap not warm or tepid.The water content can be adjusted to match your skill level, don’t worry the Ciabatta will still be great. If you are not very skilled with handling and stretching wet doughs then stick to less water as your skills improve the water content can be increased for better ciabatta. As a guide the water content should be between 400g for beginners and up to 500g for the most advanced.
• Yeast: 12g The recipe calls for fresh high active yeast but you can use dried yeast at approximately half the weight, we recommend about 7g of dried yeast. It is not advised that fast acting yeast, quick yeast etc. be used (don’t use yeast with Ascorbic acid included, also known as vitamin C, flour treatment agent and E300)
• Flour: 300g + 300g This recipe has been especially formulated for Strong - Italian Pizza Flour - Type 00 as supplied by European Natural food Co. This flour is more tolerant and can withstand longer fermentation and hold slightly more water.
• Salt: 9g  Regular table salt is fine but any form of Sodium Chloride works (sea salt, rock salt etc.) Low Sodium Salt works too. Finer the mill the easier it will disperse and dissolve in the dough. Salt is NOT just for flavour in dough.
• Olive Oil: 6g Any oil will give the same result so the choice is yours, infused oils can give great additional flavour to your ciabatta. Oil can add softness to the baked ciabatta and increase its shelf life, if you require softer ciabatta you can increase the oil up to about 26g for a very soft product but reduce the water accordingly.

Method:

• WEIGH ingredients one at a time in to a lightweight bowl or jug, using digital scales (never measure) (Weigh oil on top of water)
• Place the water, yeast and flour1 (200g flour) in the bowl and whisk together to form a ferment
• Rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Add the remaining ingredients to the ferment and mix
• by machine with a dough hook mix for 1minute slow and 5 minutes medium until dough is smooth –
• or Mix by hand (using a scraper or end of a wooden spoon) for 10+ minutes
• Cover and rest for either 40 minutes
• Double stretch fold; As gently as possible without degassing the dough (do not press down on or pinch the dough)
• Using a wet scraper gently free the dough from the bowl/container and place on to a wet table
• With wet hands gently stretch 1 end of the dough and then fold it over the other 2/3
• Repeat this stretching and folding at the opposite end of the dough. The dough has now been folded in to 3
• Repeat the above 2 steps on the other 2 sides.
• You have now completed the double stretch and fold
• Return to the bowl, folded edges undern
• Cover and rest for either 40 minutes
• 2nd Double stretch fold
• Cover and rest for either 40 minutes
  3rd Double stretch fold
• Cover and rest for either 40 minutes
• 4th and final Double stretch fold
• Place in to a floured tray with folded edges on top (a plastic ½ gastro tray is ideal)(the tray can be floured with 00 and / or Rice Flour)
• Cover and rest for 30 minutes
• Gently but quickly invert tray tipping the dough on to a floured table
• Using a blunt tool such as a wooden spoon handle/ bar etc. cut the dough in half (or to required size, you can make rolls too)
• Shape the dough by pushing dough under each loaf to tighten the surface tension. Do not squash or degas the dough.
• Gently transfer the loaves to a non stick, greased or lined tray. It is a good idea to fold some parchment to support and separate the loaves.
• The loaves can now be baked immediately (if you have degassed the dough or have lots of strength in the dough so that it stands quite high and round on the tray the loaves may benefit from a further rest of up to 30 minutes)
• Bake on a preheated stone or tray at 220°C until baked (approx. 20 mins with steam if required)