The perfect Ciabatta bread

We’ve written before about our experiments with Ciabatta, Italy’s response to France’s baguette.

After some tinkering with the recipe, we believe we have arrived at the optimal combination of ingredients. What’s more, it is very simple and easy to make.

• 3.25 cups (650 grams) flour
• 1.5 cups (350 milliliters) water
• 1 tbsp (15 g) sugar
• 1 tsp (5 g) salt
• 3 tsps (45 g) yeast
• 1 tbsp (14 ml) olive oil
• 1 tbsp (15 g) of Italian herbs (optional)

Some tips: 1. The trick to Ciabatti is to work with a sticky dough. 2. Although this calls for more sugar than the typical recipe, we find that it feeds the yeast to product a very light, fluffy bread with a springy crust. 3. Once the bread has been baked and cooled, wrap it with a cotton towel and place either in a bread bag or bread box.

So, give it a try and let us know what you think.