Hello everyone.
I have fell in love with the ciabatta´s recipe from the book “How to Make Bread” from Emmanuel Hadjiandreou. The first few times I did the bread turned out very well. Now, I am stuck with getting a very heavy result and very small holes, if any.
Could someone share a recipe (that works every time, almost) or the secret to this one from Emmanuel so that I can watch out for potential mistakes? I am following the steps accurately. I am also aware that the shaping of any ciabattas is tricky business.
Thanks in advance for your inputs.
Best regards,
Caroline
I doubt it is a recipe issue and there is no such thing as a “recipe that works every time" … so many variables and even experienced bakers have fails.
That said, Melissa @fermentada has 2 ciabatta recipes. Search in the recipe section although I believe they near the top of the list of bread recipes. There are detailed instructions as well as step by step photos including the shaping process. I would suggest working with the all bread flour version (not the whole grain) first until you find what works for you most of the time.
Regarding the recipe you used successfully and then ran into difficulty, you might think about what changed: kitchen temp, vessel, oven, humidity, flour, method ??? I had beginner’s luck with my very first sourdough - not ciabatta. Then it seemed like I got a heavy result and after a lot of reading and making notes, figured out I was rushing things a bit. I slowed the process and started making notes on dough look, feel, etc. until I got to a point where I more often than not, get the results I want.
I use the one off breadtopia (sourdough ciabatta) website. Works brilliantly. I’ve tried hundreds of ciabatta recipes with poor results. This one works everytime!
Some things to consider, Yeast is somewhat delicate. Open jars of yeast are commonly refrigerated. Even unopened jars are best stored in cool space. E.g. not on a shelf that gets direct sunlight daily. Consider how you let dough rise. If you don’t use a temperature controlled enclosure for dough rising, AKA proofing box or cabinet, you may have to let dough rise for longer periods to compensate for cooler temperatures and, during warmer weather, the rise times needed will get shorter. Some bread recipes call for starting with a mixture of warm water, yeast and perhaps sugar. The warmth of the water helps activate the yeast. However, too warm can damage or kill the yeast entirely. Consider the other ingredients. Back when the bread turned out right, were you using a particular flour that you’re not using now? Perhaps the latest package of flour you bought wasn’t labeled correctly. It’s possible that it’s AP flour when it’s really marked bread flour. Consider your water source. Try using some store bought distiled water. Not that distiled makes great bread, but if your bread changes dramatically, at least you can get an idea where some of your trouble comes from. Good luck!
I’ve not tried the whole grain yet.