Ciabatta weekends

Karniecoops's picture
Karniecoops

Well this was my second weekend in a row making ciabatta and I love it!  Last weekend was Johnny's Ciabatta Integrale  plus ciabatta rolls from Wild Yeast.  I had so much fun I did the ciabatta rolls again this weekend. 

I really can't believe how wet the dough starts off and yet how good it turns out after the folding and spending a night in the fridge.

The initial dough was the consistency of reasonably wet porridge:

and you're some how supposed to "knead" it.  So I just kind of flopped it around on the bench a bit using oiled or wet hands until it got itself a more together.  Then you have to add about another 50mL of water (unbelievably)!  So back in the bowl it went and I smootched in the water - felt kind of like making mud pies, and looked a lot the same!

then it got a have about 4 or so folds over about 3 or so hours (might was slightly extended due a bit of a long walk in the meantime).  First fold it had "come together" a bit more (Iove it how gluten develops :o)):

Then by the second fold (about 1/2hr after the first) it's nice and elastic with bubbles appearing:

Then by the next 2 folds its just a lovely, soft, elastic, bubbly dough - wonderful to fold.  I got so carried away with myself I forgot to take more photos until I took the rolls out of the oven!  The 2nd batch got a bit "tanned" as I forgot to turn the oven down after the steaming, but they tasted wonderful. 

Nice chewy crust, nice big holes, a lovely tang - perfect.  When I made them last weekend I was very nervous about adding the extra water after the initial knead, but I got over myself this weekend and went the whole hog!  Next time I think I'll try and make "slippers" instead of rolls, but I'm not holding my breath as my shaping leaves a lot to be desired at the best of times!

 

K.

Happiness is making bread

 

Replies

TeckPoh's picture
TeckPoh 2009 November 2

 

<3 Love the magic that happens with especially wet doughs, crazy bubbles. I think the shape of your breads are just perfect. You don't need to shape ciabattas, anyway...just cut them up to size.

 

Cheers

TP

Karniecoops's picture
Karniecoops 2009 November 2

Thanks TP.  Yes you're right about the shaping, try as you will when you pick up the lovely soft dough to place on the baking sheet, it does tend to have a mind of its own!  You just have to "rearrange" into a form before slotting it into the oven.

I'm just tucking to a lovely roll with blackcurrant jam as I write :o)

K.

Johnny's picture
Johnny 2009 November 8

 How did I miss these? Great stuff KC! I wish I had some for breakfast.

Thanks for the pics it really helps reassure us when we see that others have just as much trouble (and fun) handling really wet doughs

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