Buy all ingredients right below the recipe
INGREDIENTS FOR THE PRE-DOUGH
- 350 g flour
- 10 g yeast
- Vegetable oil for greasing the bowl
INGREDIENTS FOR THE BREAD DOUGH
- 60 ml milk
- 15 g yeast
- 50 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 500 g flour
- 15 g salt
WHAT ELSE YOU WILL NEED
- Baking paper
- Cling film
PREPARING THE BIGA SOURDOUGH PRE-DOUGH
- 1Mix the yeast with 30 ml of lukewarm water.
- 2Pour the flour into a stand mixer and set the mixing speed to medium. Gradually add the yeast mixture and 170 ml of lukewarm water. Mix with the machine for 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- 3Grease the inside of a bowl with vegetable oil and place the dough in it. Cover the bowl with cling film and let it rise for 12-15 hours in a warm place.
PREPARING THE BREAD DOUGH
- 1In a bowl, mix the yeast with 30 ml of lukewarm water until creamy, then add another 370 ml of lukewarm water. After this, mix the mixture with the biga pre-dough.
- 2Pour the milk into the mixer, add the yeast mixture, and gradually add the flour. Knead the dough for 10 minutes on a higher speed. Then add the salt and olive oil and mix for another 1 minute.
- 3Grease the dough with oil, cover it with a clean cloth, and let it rise for 1-1.5 hours in a warm place until its volume doubles.
- 4Dust the rolling pin with flour and very carefully roll out the risen dough with it so that it doesn't collapse.
- 5With floured hands, gently press the dough into a rectangular tray about 2.5 cm high, and cut it into 6 equally sized rectangular pieces with a knife or cutter.
- 6Preheat the oven to 220°C.
- 7Transfer the bread pieces to a baking tray lined with baking paper, sprinkle them with flour, and let them rise for 30 minutes in a warm place.
- 8Suddenly spray the walls of the preheated oven with water to create steam, and immediately place the baking tray into the oven, then close the door at once.
- 9Bake the ciabattas for 30 minutes until golden brown, then place them on a rack to cool.
Tip
Biga is a pre-dough, the leavening agent for classic Italian country bread. For these types of doughs, proper steaming in the oven is important, right at the beginning of baking. If you don't have a spray bottle at home, put water in a bowl and quickly sprinkle a little water from it onto the oven walls to create steam. This process should always be done as quickly as possible so that the oven does not cool down. It is also important to put the dough into the oven quickly while there is steam inside.
