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The Bread Baker's Apprentice Ciabatta recipe...

elcouisto's picture
elcouisto

The Bread Baker's Apprentice Ciabatta recipe...

I've tried several times making a Ciabatta using Peter Reinhart's The Bread Baker's Apprentice recipe, but always failed in having a crumb with large irregular holes in it. There's a picture of a Ciabatta in the book, but mine is nowhere near as good looking, particularly the crumb.

The thing is I'm not sure what the problem is... My dough looks good, it ferments alright, I try not to degass it too much when handling, I bake it as explained in the book (I tried with and without steam), etc.

Did anyone make a ciabatta using that recipe and succeeded in having a crumb with large irregular holes in it?

thanks,

csimmo64's picture
csimmo64

I don't know their recipe from that book, but it can't be far off from what I've been practicing with. I do 100% flour, 80% water, 1% fresh yeast [.3% instant] and 2% salt.

By practicing I mean that I've been trying to get a open crumb, and I've gotten it recently, very well too.

First off, I autolyse the flour and water in the recipe. This involves just mixing them to a shaggy mass and letting it sit and absorb the water for around 45 minutes.

I then Set my kitchenaid to 2nd speed and let it mix and develop for around 3 minutes. Moderate development. Then, over the next three hours I do a series of folds to the dough to develop the rest of the gluten every half hour.

When I was getting improper open crumb structure [what I was trying to acheieve] I found that I was mixing improperly. Too much time in the mixer, no autolyse period, and also I didn't do enough of the stretch and folds or didn't do them right. Gluten development that I look for in ciabatta is that the dough pulls itself clean from the bowl that you fold it in. Don't be so crazy about not degassing it, it's all about developing the gluten in as little movements as possible, but also getting it properly developed. Also, using more water in the recipe really promotes open crumb. Hope this helps

brakeforbread's picture
brakeforbread

I've had the same results with BBA. And I second Jason's Quick Ciabatta. I've done a side by side comparison posted here on TFL and a blog post as well.

elcouisto's picture
elcouisto

I've taken a look at your blog post and your Ciabatta from the BBA looks roughly the same than mine.

At first I was wondering if my crumb problem was because I'm doing everything by hand, but since you're using a kitchen aid or similar (I'm guessing here), I know the problem's elsewhere...

I'd love to try Jason's quick, but I don't have a kitchen aid mixer... And a 95% hydration dough is practically impossible to work out by hand.

I'm convinced it is possible to get large irregular holes with BBA's recipe... I just don't klnow how.

SallyBR's picture
SallyBR

BBA Ciabatta is not the best recipe around - I did not have large holes either, whereas other recipes worked much better

 

I don't think it's your faut, try Jason's Quick

jackew's picture
jackew

The Reinhardt ciabatta recipe I have shows 70% hydration. Jason's has 95%. I may be over simplifying it but it appears that is where the difference would be. Working with 95% hydration takes real patience and experience.