Sourdough Ciabatta

Directions

In the morning...

1. Place all of the flour in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.

2. Measure out 230g of cold water in a measuring cup, then add 15g of salt and stir until the salt is completely dissolved.

3. Add the water and salt mixture to the bowl with the flour in it and mix until combined. (If using a stand mixer, mix on speed 3-4 for 3-5 minutes.)

4. Let the flour/water/salt mixture rest for 30 minutes.

5. Next, add 5g of honey, and all 85g of sourdough starter to the bowl and mix for another 3-5 minutes until everything is combined and you are left with a relatively smooth dough. (If mixing by hand, turn the mixture out onto a floured work surface and knead by hand for 5 minutes)

6. Transfer the dough to a large, clean bowl, cover it, and let it sit on the counter for around 12 hours, or until you are about to go to bed for the night.

7. After the dough has risen on the counter for around 12 hours, place it in the refrigerator for another 12-24 hours…or until you are ready to bake.

The next day...

1. 3-4 hours before you are ready to bake, take the dough out of the fridge and divide the dough into 3 dough balls, about 225-230g each, and let them rest.

2. 1 hour before you are ready to bake, preheat your oven and Baking Steel to 500F degrees.

3. When the oven is preheated and your Baking Steel is up to temperature:

   • Grab your pizza peel, place a piece of parchment paper on top, and set it aside.

   • Turn out your dough balls onto a floured work surface.

   • Flip the dough ball so the smooth side is facing up.

   • Grab the dough ball on each side and gently stretch it outwards so it’s about 8” long and 3” wide…(ciabatta shaped)

   • Dust the top with flour and place it on the parchment paper on top of your pizza peel.

   • Repeat for all 3 dough balls.

4. Next, turn down the oven to 475F and launch the 3 ciabattas (on the parchment paper) on to your Baking Steel and bake for 11 minutes.

5. After 10 minutes, elevate your ciabattas to avoid the bottoms burning. We utilize baking steel bracelets to help with this process. You can also set a cooling rack on top of your baking steel and place the partially baked ciabattas on top.

6. Now that your ciabattas have been elevated, bake for another 5 minutes until golden brown.

7. Remove from the oven, let cool slightly, and then dig in!