Well, here we are, finally! I am making Ciabatta (the Italian slipper bread), out of my Natural Yeast Starter. I was very happy with this first use of my starter; the more I use it the stronger it will get and the better my bread will become. This very young starter needs time to develop and mature. Nevertheless, this first attempt has made very edible bread, despite my 'slip of the keyboard'!
To explain further,
I have written 15g of salt within the recipe, when it should be 10g!
Please amend your recipe before beginning. Salt acts as an inhibitor to yeast; my poor young starter had to work against this. It explains why the texture of my bread is not as holey as it should be. You will find a link to the recipe and written method by clicking HERE!
This post gives a pictorial record of my recipe; so let us begin......
Ciabatta Recipe in Images
Weigh the starter and flour for the 'biga';
and the water, and mix well.
Cover the 'biga' with cling film and leave on one side overnight, for the flavours to develop.
Time has done its thing and the 'biga' is ready.
Weigh the flour out onto the 'biga'.
Add extra starter (which I had refreshed two hours before so it would be very active), and the water;
add the olive oil.
Mix well together.
Begin the 30 'kneads'! Oil your fingers to stop the soft dough sticking to them. Pull a little dough from the edge, and press it down into the centre; turn the bowl a little, and repeat the action.
Repeat;
repeat;
repeat;
repeat;
for 30 actions. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave to prove for one hour.
Add the 10g (not 15g) of salt by sprinkling over the top of the dough.
Begin the 30 'kneading' actions.
This will disperse the salt throughout the dough.
When you have completed the actions, cover with cling film, and leave to prove again for one hour.
Begin the 30 'kneading' actions again.
This final 30 actions is for the last time.
At the end of the last 30 actions, put the dough out onto a tray; spread it into a rectangular shape.
Leave to prove for an hour, then split the dough into two pieces, length ways. Carefully spread them apart without loosing any of the rise.
Put into a hot oven for 20 minutes. (My not very good oven took 30 minutes)!
When baked, take off the tray onto a wire wrack, and leave to cool. Eat and enjoy!
More Interesting Posts:
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@teresachang posts about a steak as 'big as your head'! Too much meat I think?
@nickoskitchen has adapted Victoria sponge cake a little. Delicious it looks too.
and finally for now:
@breadcentric is a new Steemian and his introductory post gives us a lovely bread recipe....yummy!
Please take part in my Community Project. Place a link to your post in the comments box below if you would like your recipe to be included. In the meantime keep 'Posting' interesting content, as all I want to do is:
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