Ciabatta bread

Recipe by Smeg chef Elke Travers

Pre-ferment

Start the fermentation starter the night before.

¼ teaspoon dry yeast

330g (2½ cups) bread flour

330ml (1½ cups) water

Bread

600g (4 cups) bread flour

400ml (1 2/3 cups) water

Finish

1½ teaspoons sea salt

Fine semolina, for dusting

For pre-ferment, combine all ingredients in a stand mixer bowl, cover with a damp cloth and leave on the bench overnight.

The next day, add bread ingredients to pre-ferment, affix the dough hook to the stand mixer and mix for five minutes until smooth.  Remove bowl from stand mixer, cover with a damp cloth and set aside for 45 minutes.

After 45 minutes, place the dough on a semolina dusted surface and stretch before folding roughly into thirds.  Return folded dough to bowl, cover with a damp cloth and set aside for a further 45 minutes.  Repeat this step four times, remembering to add the salt during the last stretch.

Place dough on a semolina dusted surface and cut into four pieces.  Shape each piece as desired – either into loaves or smaller bread rolls.  Place loaves or rolls on baking paper and set aside to prove for a further 45 minutes

Set oven to supercook function and pre-heat to 220⁰C. After 10 minutes, switch to fan forced function.  Bake loaves for 20 to 25 minutes depending on how you like your crust.

Recipe created with the Smeg Classic Thermsoeal oven and stand mixer.