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No-Knead Homemade Bread (Ciabatta)

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Prep Time 13 hours
Cook Time 25 minutes
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

Biga / Preferment
1 cup bread flour (This bread flour is most recommended but I use any bread flour I can find in local stores here and it works just as fine.)
⅛ teaspoon of instant or active dry yeast - This is approximately 0.375 grams.
½ cup water
Ciabatta Rolls
2 ½ cups bread flour – High-protein flour gives ciabatta its chewy texture.
1 teaspoons salt – Enhances flavor.
1 teaspoon or 3g instant or active-dry yeast – The magic that makes the dough rise.
1 cup water – Lukewarm, for activating the yeast.
2 tablespoon olive oil (optional) – Adds a hint of richness. Add 1 tablespoon to dough and another to your hands or spatula so the dough doesn't stick.

Method
 

Day 1 : Biga / Preferment
  1. Day 1 : Prepare the preferment
    Mix together the preferment. Cover and let it sit on the counter. After 8-12 hours, the biga should be ready.
Day 2: Dough
  1. Combine the Ingredients
    In a large bowl, combine the water, yeast, olive oil, salt and the rest of the flour, stirring until a sticky dough forms. It's supposed to be shaggy.
  2. Let Time Work Its Magic
    After mixing well the ingredients, cover the bowl a plastic wrap or damp cloth and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
    The dough will become bubbly and double in size. This long fermentation gives ciabatta its wonderful flavor and open texture.
  3. The dough will become bubbly and double in size. This long fermentation gives ciabatta its wonderful flavor and open texture.
  4. Stretch and Fold
    Instead of kneading, you’ll “stretch and fold” the dough. With oiled hands or spatula, gently pull up one side of the dough and fold it over. Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat. Do this until you’ve gone around the bowl twice, for a total of 8 folds. Repeat the processs 3–4 times, letting the dough to rest for 30 minutes between each round. Keep it covered during rests to avoid drying out.
  5. Shape the Rolls
    Generously flour your work surface (ciabatta dough is sticky!). Turn the dough out carefully to avoid deflating it. Carefully stretch the dough into a rectangular shape and divide it into 8 long, slipper-like rectangles. Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  6. Final Proof
    Cover loosely with a cloth and let the loaves rest for 30–45 minutes. They should puff up slightly.
  7. Bake to Golden Perfection
    Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C). Place a pan of hot water in the bottom of the oven to create steam—that’s what gives ciabatta its crisp crust. Bake the rolls for 20–25 minutes, until they’re golden brown and sound hollow when tapped.