Sourdough Ciabatta with Olive Oil

Sourdough Ciabatta with Olive Oil ingredients

• 100 g active sourdough starter
• 400 g warm water (90-95°F)
• 450 g bread flour
• 50 g all-purpose flour
• 10 g fine sea salt
• 20 g olive oil
• optional, for dusting g semolina flour

How to make Sourdough Ciabatta with Olive Oil

1. In a large bowl, combine 350g of the warm water with the active sourdough starter and whisk until the starter is mostly dissolved.
2. Add the bread flour and all-purpose flour to the starter mixture and mix with a spoon or your hand until just combined and no dry spots of flour remain. This is a very wet dough, so resist the urge to add more flour. Cover the bowl and let it rest for 30 minutes (autolyse).
3. After the autolyse, sprinkle the fine sea salt over the dough. Pour the remaining 50g of warm water over the salt, and then drizzle the olive oil over the dough. Mix gently by hand for 2-3 minutes, pinching the dough to incorporate all ingredients thoroughly.
4. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes. Begin the first of four sets of stretch and folds: wet your hand, gently grab an edge of the dough, stretch it upwards, and fold it over to the opposite side. Rotate the bowl and repeat this motion 3-4 times, until you've worked your way around the dough. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
5. Perform three more sets of stretch and folds, waiting 30 minutes between each set. The dough will become stronger, smoother, and more elastic with each set. After the final fold, cover the bowl and let the dough bulk ferment at room temperature (68-75°F) for 3-4 hours, or until it has visibly increased in volume by about 50%.
6. Gently turn the dough out onto a lightly floured (or semolina-dusted) surface. Try not to deflate it too much. Use a dough scraper to divide the dough into two equal pieces. Gently shape each piece into a rough rectangle without handling it excessively.
7. Prepare a baking sheet or couche lined with parchment paper, generously dusted with semolina flour. Carefully transfer each ciabatta piece to the prepared surface, ensuring there is enough space between them to prevent sticking during proofing. Loosely cover with a clean kitchen towel.
8. Let the ciabatta proof at room temperature for 1-1.5 hours, or until they look puffy and soft to the touch. During the last 30 minutes of proofing, preheat your oven to 475°F (245°C) with a baking steel or stone inside if you have one.
9. Carefully transfer the proofed ciabatta to the preheated oven. You may need to do this in batches if your oven is small. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 425°F (220°C) and continue baking for another 15-20 minutes, or until the crust is deeply golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 200-210°F (93-99°C).
10. Remove the ciabatta from the oven and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely for at least 30 minutes before slicing. This allows the crumb to set and improves texture.

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