Ciabatta

Total Time: 1 hr 25 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 1 cup bread flour
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast
• 3/4 cup very warm water (120 to 130)
• 4 cups bread flour
• 1/4 cup warm water (105 to 115)
• 2 teaspoons nonfat dry milk powder
• 2 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons cornmeal
• 2 tablespoons bread flour

Recipe

• 1 for the sponge: lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife.
• 2 place all ingredients in a food processor and process for 1 minute or until well blended.
• 3 spoon mixture into a medium-bowl. cover and chill sponge from 2 to 24 hours.
• 4 for the ciabatta: lightly spoon 4 cups flour into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife.
• 5 combine with the basic sponge you prepared earlier and the water, nonfat dry milk powder, yeast, and salt in a food processor.
• 6 process until dough forms a ball. process 1 additional minute.
• 7 turn dough out onto a floured surface (dough will be sticky and soft).
• 8 divide dough in half working with 1 portion of dough at a time (cover the remaining dough to keep it from drying).
• 9 roll each portion into a 12x16" rectangle.
• 10 place dough on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal.
• 11 taper ends of dough to form a "slipper" shape.
• 12 sprinkle 2 tablespoons flour over loaves.
• 13 cover and let rise 30 minutes or until doubled in bulk.
• 14 preheat oven to 425.
• 15 uncover dough and bake for 25 minutes or until loaves sound hollow when tapped.
• 16 remove from pan.
• 17 cool on a wire rack.