Picnic Ciabatta No. 7

A slim, rustic ciabatta with preferment: crackling on the outside, airy on the inside, made for a simple picnic for two.

Preparation

1. For the preferment (Poolish), mix 150 g of wheat flour Type 550 with 150 g of water and 1 g of fresh yeast until smooth. Cover and let it ferment at room temperature for 10 to 14 hours, until the surface is lively and slightly bubbly.
2. Combine the matured preferment with 150 g of wheat flour, 90 g of water, 2 g of fresh yeast, salt, and olive oil in a bowl. Mix slowly for 8 to 10 minutes until a very soft, smooth dough forms.
3. Cover the dough and let it rest for 2 hours. During the first hour, stretch and fold the dough every 30 minutes to build structure.
4. Flour the work surface well. Gently slide the dough onto it, minimizing gas loss. Shape it into a rough rectangle and divide it into 2 equal pieces.
5. Gently shape the pieces into small ciabattas and place them on a floured cloth or baking paper. Cover and let rise for 45 to 60 minutes.
6. Preheat the oven with a baking sheet or baking stone to 240 °C (464 °F) top/bottom heat. To ensure good oven spring, introduce steam at the beginning, for example, by placing a heatproof dish of water in the oven.
7. Bake the ciabattas for 16 to 20 minutes, until they are deep golden brown and rustic-looking. In the last 5 minutes, release the steam to ensure the crust becomes dry and crispy.
8. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing. For the picnic, simply take them as they are or break them fresh.