Sunday Light Rustic Ciabatta

A mild, digestible ciabatta with aromatic pre-ferment, crispy crust, and juicy, airy crumb – made for a relaxed Sunday brunch.

Preparation

1. For the pre-ferment (poolish), mix 350 g of wheat flour Type 550 with 350 g of water and 1 g of fresh yeast until smooth. Cover the bowl and let it ferment at room temperature for 12–16 hours until the pre-ferment is airy and shows many small bubbles.
2. For the main dough, combine the matured pre-ferment with 350 g of wheat flour Type 550, 210 g of water, 3 g of fresh yeast, 14 g of salt, and 20 g of olive oil in a bowl. Mix everything slowly for 3–4 minutes and then at medium speed for another 6–8 minutes until a very soft, smooth dough forms.
3. Let the dough rest covered for 2 hours. During the first 90 minutes, stretch and fold the dough every 30 minutes to build structure without losing its airiness.
4. Generously flour the work surface. Carefully slide the dough onto it and divide it into 3 elongated pieces. Gently shape each piece into rustic ciabatta, being careful not to degas it too much.
5. Place the shaped dough on a floured cloth or baking paper, cover, and let rise for 45–60 minutes until visibly puffed up.
6. Preheat the oven to 250 °C (482 °F) with top/bottom heat, ideally with a baking stone or tray. To ensure a strong oven spring, introduce steam at the beginning.
7. Slide the ciabatta into the oven and bake for 10 minutes at 250 °C (482 °F). Then release the steam, reduce the temperature to 220 °C (428 °F), and bake for another 10–14 minutes until the crust is deep golden brown and rustic-looking.
8. Allow the loaves to cool completely on a wire rack. This keeps the crust crispy and the crumb mild, juicy, and digestible.