Ciabatta... almost
Greetings All!
My latest bake was my first-ever attempt at a full 80% hydration without "cheating" (i.e., adding extra flour to combat stickiness). I kind of mixed a couple techniques to get there and that may have been my downfall, but the final product came out pretty good. My wife and I both thought it was one of the best tasting white flour loaves I have made recently, it just doesn't look like ciabatta... yet... But I ain't giving up!!
My formula:
White AP unbleached 400g
Water 320g
Kosher salt 10g
Fleischman's IDY 5g
- Stirred in bowl until combined
- 100 Slap and folds, then a 30 minute rest
- Another 200 Slap and folds then a 5 minute rest
- Preshaped into a nice firm ball and into a covered bowl for 1 hour
- Final shaping according to Ciril Hitz video - reference below - and proof for 1 hour
- Baked at 450F for 30 minutes with steam from 1 cup hot water poured into preheated cast iron skillet at beginning of bake.
The loaf:
And the crumb:
I followed Bertinet's slap and fold technique to develop the dough, 'cause I didn't feel like cleaning the Kitchenaid.
Then I used Ciril Hitz's shaping technique seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFja1ShZFsA
In the video he does use a mixer and a double hydration of the dough which I did not do. His dough almost behaves like rubber cement during the proofing stage - the stuff is amazing. Also, after all the slap and folds, my dough was still holding its shape so I didn't do any stretch and folds like he did. For the final shaping, he dumps the dough out, folds it once and trims all the edges so they're square. Then he cuts loaf segments out of the mass and places the cut off scraps on top of the loaves before he flips them over to proof upside down. At the last minute, he flips them right side up onto a peel before baking. The scaps on top are genius - they meld with the loaf but never perfectly seal so they provide a weak point for controlled expansion without actually having to slash the loaf.
I think the last flip is where my mistake may have been: The dough is so soft and wiggly, I had a little trouble inserting my fingers under the ends to flip it like Ciril does in the video. Once the loaf was upright, the ends where I had grabbed it were somewhat degassed and had dimples where my fingers had been. I think all the trauma caused by flipping the dough upright is where I might have lost the large holes I was trying for in the crumb. I'm going to try this one again with the upside down phase on a lightweight board that I can flip back over without touching the dough in the hopes of doing it more gently next time. Then maybe I'll get my big holes... ;-)
Whattya think? Will the change in flipping technique help, or should I try a double hydration with the mixer to develop the dough instead of slap and folds?
Hi MD,
Just enough experience with ciabatta to understand that it is one dough that really really needs a lot of gluten development. I don't think that it is achievable by hand mixing. The mixer really must work the dough until it would seem to be overtaxing the dough. And which is why the formula calls for cold water, so that the mixing friction does not overheat the dough. If you go back to minute 5:25 of the its video, he discusses for an instant about the necessity for really good gluten development through a long mix.
Most of us do not have the luxury of such an extraordinary mixer for our homes, as his has. What I believe you'll want to do once the gluten starts to develop is to turn the mixer on a high speed, watching the dough as it climbs the mixing hook, push it back down (this will likely have to be done several times), and then wait until there is a clearing of the dough from the sides of the mixing bowl and the dough makes a distinct slapping sound. And this can be as long as 10 minutes or more.
Your first stretch and fold during bulk rise can be somewhat aggressive as the dough will be extraordinarily elastic. After that, I suggest strictly using kid gloves for all further dough manipulation. S&Fs are done 3 times, each ~45 minutes apart.
Give this a try to see whether you get a more open crumb.
alan
hydration is only a couple o fpoints higher than some Forkish and Tartine bread recipes. I start thinking ciabatta when it gets to 90-95% hydration. That should get you to the big holes specific to ciabatta. It is 1 of the 2 breads I use a machine for with a highly enriched panettone the other one. The video that Alan posted is great but prefer the taste of SD ciabatta by far.
Happy baking
now that two of the more experienced guys on TFL both suggest using a mixer I'll get out the ol' Kitchenaid and beat that dough into submission. Maybe I can get the rubber cement consistency I observed in the video. I'll post the outcome of the changes.
Thanks!
--Mike
Not much of a contest between my thimbleful of knowledge about baking vs. dbm. I know my little corner of the world, and not a heck of a lot more. And I learn something new from all of you other folks on TFL at least once a week.
But, do give the mixer a try and watch the dough temp coming out of the mixer. If it is too warm - north of ~77-78dF then your water wasn't cold enough. The following time chill it down with ice, keep your flour in the refrigerator or even the freezer and if you use a poolish or biga, cool that down in advance as well, if you think you will need to. These few hints should allow the mixer to keep chugging w/o overheating the dough.
alan
one pinched the KA mixer:-) Get that gluten developed and then do the stretch and folds and then let it ferment . Next thing you know it isn't as sticky and you can handle it much easier a the end. Plus, Ciabatta is one bread you can let over proof a bit and when it spreads no one will notice or care:-)