culture and crumb?
How do you get good ciabatta crumb? I recently took what I been using for pizza doe for a experiment and wanted to see if I would get large air pockets. It did not produce large air pockets, many smaller with a very light texture. It’s been a goal to get air pockets into my pizza crumb, but it did not work well here. I been out of baking for a while so thing are a little rusty.
I use 1c of ischia culture, (mix is 1c flour to ¾ water). I mix that into 3c all purpose flour – generally 432 grams sometimes I add 100 of 00 to it 332+100 and 230Gr water then Kneading10 mins.
Pizza crust not bad, the ciabatta experiment not many large air pockets. Crumb was a little brown or tan, I suspect from culture and a little bitter. It is proofed at 75-80 2x.
Like to learn more about kneading time, proofing time, etc effects.
Like to improve both crusts or just general beard making, thanks.
You want a wet dough aomewhere around 80%.
Loaves will look more like flat fread but bubbly when ready to bake. The oven spring at that point will give you the crumb you're looking for.
thanks for the tip so around 345 grams of water in 432 gr of flour? I would guess that to be like pancake mix. How about kneading when it is that wet, do you knead it longer?
thanks..
Yes the dough will be very sticky. Wet your hands a little while handling it and it won't stick as much to you. I would do a stretch and fold technique with it until the dough is bubbly. Then lay it out in the shape you want and let it rise. It won't rise a lot but will get puffy. Lay it on parchment or something so that you can flip it over a little before you bake it. That will help distribute the bubbles in the loaf better.
Thanks for the tips. Cant wait to try the higher water content. Will post back to let you know if I had luck with the air pockets. How is this bread usally cooked? I read somewhere about adding dough into a hot cast iron pan. Use a baking sheet or pan bowl? What kind of temps, etc?