Sourdough Ciabatta

Method

1. 1

   Stir the starter and water. Add the flour and mix until no dry streaks remain. The dough will look like a thick batter. Cover and rest 40 minutes, then pinch in the salt with a wet hand.

2. 2

   Over the next 2 hours, give it four stretch-and-folds, 30 minutes apart. Wet your hand so it does not tear. Cover and rise until the dough is bubbly and jiggly, often 4 to 8 hours. It will not hold a dome like a country loaf.

3. 3

   Dust the counter generously with flour. Pour the dough out. Dust the top. With floured hands, gently nudge it into a rough rectangle about 2 centimeters thick. Do not knead the flour in. Cut it into 2 rectangles with a bench scraper.

4. 4

   Dimple each piece lightly with floured fingertips and transfer them to parchment, still floury. Rest 30 to 45 minutes. Bake at 450°F for 22 to 28 minutes, with 240 grams of hot water poured into a pan on the oven floor at the start. The crust should be golden and the crumb full of irregular holes. Cool before you split them.

From the kitchen

• If you can knead this into a smooth ball, it is too dry for ciabatta. Add 20 grams of water next time.
• Counting the starter, this is about 550 grams of flour and 440 grams of water.