No Knead Ciabatta Bread

Discovery of this Ciabatta Bread recipe has been a long time coming.

We’ve been enjoying Crusty Artisan Bread made in a dutch oven for the past seven years finding it unnecessary for any store bought bread… you just can’t go back.

Making a good loaf of crusty Ciabatta Bread has been on my mind for a while now but a few simpler recipes I have tried failed to give the texture and especially the large irregular open crumb grain which make this bread as light as air.

Other recipes I’ve come across seem to be too time consuming, the thought of “babysitting” the dough for a good part of the day does not appeal to me. My quest for a good recipe eventually landed on this one, simple and just a good over all feeling about the recipe not to mention the inviting picture posted on the website.

No biga or poolish to prepare, just a quick stir of flour, yeast, salt and warm water the night before, cover and say good night then meet a beautifully risen bowl of dough the next morning. After quick shaping of the dough and while waiting for the slow two hour rise, (no babysitting) you can go about tending to whatever needs doing. Into the oven for 35 to 40 minutes and out come two impressive sixteen inch ciabatta loaves.

The hard part is waiting for them to cool, the best part is cutting into one and admiring what you were hoping for… those quintessential pockets of air in the bread!

Oh the things that can make one happy!

No Knead Ciabatta Bread

3 ½ cups (17 ½oz/496g) white bread flour

½ cup (2 ½ oz/71g) whole wheat flour (see Notes, Tips and Suggestions)

1 ½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon instant yeast

2 cups lukewarm water (see Notes Tips and Suggestions)

1 tablespoon olive oil

Day Before:

  1. In a large bowl mix together the flour, salt, and yeast.
  2. Measure out warm water and tablespoon of olive oil , add to the dry ingredients and mix to form a wet dough.
  3. Scrape down the bowl and cover with a plastic wrap and clean kitchen towel.
  4. Leave to rise at room temperature for about 18 hours, overnight is good.

Next Day:

  1. Prepare 2 large baking sheets, line one baking sheet with a clean kitchen towel and dust liberally with flour. Line the other with parchment paper. Set aside.
  2. Uncover, scrape dough out of the bowl onto a well floured surface.
  3. With well floured hands gather dough into a ball, divide into two pieces and place side by side several inches apart on a floured towel. Cover with a kitchen towel and allow to rise for 2 hours.
  4. Preheat the oven to 425°F (210°C).
  5. Roll each piece of risen dough off the tea towel and stretch it out to 16 inches as you carefully place it on your parchment-lined baking sheet.
  6. For a crusty loaf, after placing the loaves in the oven place a pan on the lower baking rack and fill with boiling water. Quickly close oven door to keep steam from escaping.
  7. Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown.
  8. Allow the bread to cool completely before cutting.

In a large bowl mix together flour, salt, and yeast.

Measure out warm water and tablespoon of olive oil , add to the dry ingredients and…

… mix to form a wet dough.

Scrape down the bowl, cover with a plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel. Leave to rise at room temperature for about 18 hours or overnight.

After a good night’s rest…

Uncover, scrape dough out of the bowl onto a well floured surface.

With well floured hands (a bench scraper comes in handy here) gather dough into a ball, divide into two pieces…

…and place side by side several inches apart on a floured towel.

Cover with a kitchen towel and allow to rise for 2 hours.

Roll each piece of risen dough off the tea towel…

… and stretch it out to 16 inches as you carefully place it on your parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake in a preheated 425F degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes.

Notes, Tips and Suggestions

  • Didn’t have any whole wheat flour on hand so I increased the bread flour to 4 cups instead.
  • Added an additional half cup of warm water to the flour mixture to get the right wet dough consistency. (water needed could depend on the moisture content of the flour used.)
  • It was not included in the recipe but placing a pan on the lower baking rack and filling it with boiling water after placing the bread in the oven makes for a great crust.
  • The second time making this I increased the salt to 2 teaspoons, instead of 1 1/2, your choice.
  • If you are questioning the minimal 1/4 teaspoon of yeast so did I but it seems that’s all that is needed.
  • Dough is very wet and sticky, use flour liberally and keep that bench scraper handy..

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