The Fresh Loaf

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Ciabatta video - amazing crumb.. wow..

bread1965's picture
bread1965

Ciabatta video - amazing crumb.. wow..

I decided to make the coccodrillo ciabatta for the first time today. It turned out very nice. But I thought i could to better. I was looking around for ciabatta videos online and came across this one and have now watched it a few times (I know, I need a life).. the final baked loaves look truly remarkable.. the glossy crumb is inspired!  I haven't head of double hydration. The video is so good I think I'll look into buying his book for the recipe.. Enjoy..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFja1ShZFsA

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

Check the credits at the end - Jason Molina Recipe from - The Fresh Loaf.com:-)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v24OBsYsR-A

This one is 99% hydration and I've converted it to SD now.

joc1954's picture
joc1954

I really enjoyed watching the movie. Just a week ago after preparing my loaf for assessment I had a lot of poolish leftover so I made my first ciabattas. They were not so nice as those on the video but my grandchildren definitely loved them and their parents didn't get a chance to taste them. Have to repeat them now before the Christmas.

Joze  

bread1965's picture
bread1965

thanks for sharing that! Care to share your SD ciabatta percentages? :)

 

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

10% summer and 20% winter.  You can also retard the dough too.  If you are in a hurry you can use more levain as well.

Maverick's picture
Maverick

That is my go to recipe and video for ciabatta. My wife loves it. I have tried other techniques, but they are too fluffy. I always come back to Hitz's formula and technique. I don't always do the double hydration technique, and use a lot less than he did in the video, but I really like his book.

FYI, it is just a simple 78% hydration with 2% salt. If you take 35% of the flour and add an equal amount of water (subtracting that from the recipe) to make a poolish the night before (like in the video), it is even better. The poolish is 100% hydration. The yeast is only about 0.28%. In the book, the hydration doesn't take the poolish into account and this throws the numbers off when looking at the formula:

ProductCiabatta Hitz      
          
IngredientsBaker's % (Straight Dough) Straight Dough Weight (i.e. with no pre-ferment) Pre-Ferment (Optional) Adjusted Dough Weight  
A/P Flour100%->943-330=613  
Water77.9%->735-330=405  
Salt1.9%->18.0- =18.0  
Instant Yeast0.28%->2.6-0.0003=2.6Poolish = pinch 
         
         2.6g=3/4 tsp 
% Pre-Ferment Flour35% Pre-Ferment Hydration100%Pre-Ferment
Weight
660  
          
 Percentage Sum Batch Weight   Adj. Dough Wt.  
 180% 1699 = 1699  
bread1965's picture
bread1965

Much appreciated! So what's being called "double hydration" is simply using a poolish? And in practical terms, looking at your 330 1:1 poolish, what do you actually do for yeast with .03%? Just add the smallest of pinches? Again, thanks very much!

Maverick's picture
Maverick

Double hydration is in the video, but not in the book... it means to hold back some of the water for the first mix. This helps develop the gluten since the dough isn't as hydrated. Then add the rest of the water in a second phase. Poolish is just a pre-ferment. I try to always do that part (but sometimes I just use my sourdough starter since it is 100% hydration).

Yes, as the notes on the right hand side say, for the poolish use a pinch of yeast (can be any sized pinch really). It is actually 0.0003 grams, haha! I don't know where I came up with that number (its been years since I put it in Excel). So it is 330g of flour and 330g of water plus a pinch of yeast left overnight. I often do half or 3/4 of this formula.

Also, 2.6g of instant yeast is about 3/4 tsp.

Edit: To clarify, you add the right hand column weights (in grams) to the 660g of poolish to make your final dough. So mix up the poolish, and the next day add 613g of flour, 405g of water, etc. The left hand column is for doing it without the poolish/pre-ferment. I actually find at least starting with the beater attachment instead of the dough hook makes things go faster (unless doing double hydration technique).

bread1965's picture
bread1965

Thanks for this.. ! I'll give it a try..

Maverick's picture
Maverick

Let me know if you need any of the timing info.

bread1965's picture
bread1965

The original ciabatta recipe video I posted shows one remarkable looking final loaf - stunning actually. That's something I'd like to produce. You made a comment of how double hydration works. Could you elaborate and suggest how you'd approach replicating that bread with the double hydration method? If not, don't stress. If so, I'm grateful and thanks!

mantisory's picture
mantisory

The double hydration really does make a difference, but I find that the bread turns out well without it as well. Either way you end up with a fantastic tasting ciabatta :)

I have used some sourdough starter in combination with the poolish and that worked out quite nicely as well...

Byron