Ciabatta

Name: Ciabatta
Yield: Makes 2 loaves
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 cup, unbleached all-purpose flour (5 ounces); 1/8 teaspoon, instant or rapid-rise yeast; 1/2 cup, water (4 ounces), at room temperature; 2 cups, unbleached all-purpose flour (10 ounces); 1/2 teaspoon, instant or rapid-rise yeast; 1 1/2 teaspoons, table salt; 3/4 cup, water (6 ounces), at room temperature; 1/4 cup, milk (2 ounces), at room temperature (see note)

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Appears in Cook's Illustrated March/April 2009, America's Test Kitchen TV

Desserts or Baked Goods

Italian

Breads

This Italian loaf boasts a crisp, flavorful crust and a chewy, open crumb—in the hands of a master. Where does that leave the rest of us?

SERVESMakes 2 loaves

TIME1¼ hours, plus 10½ hours resting and 1 hour cooling

has video

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

For a ciabatta recipe with airy texture, tangy flavor, and perfect lift, we chose all-purpose flour, which gave the bread an open, springy texture. A sponge fermented for 12 hours gave the bread its requisite flavor. A combination of kneadi...

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