Ciabatta

INGREDIENTS

Starter
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
1/2 cup water
1 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour


Mix all of the ingredients until well-blended. Cover the starter and leave it at cool room temperature for 12 to 16 hours; it will become very bubbly.

Dough
all of the starter
3/4 cup water
2-2 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
3/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

INSTRUCTIONS
Combine the starter with the remaining dough ingredients. Mix vigorously until the dough begins to hold together (about 4 minutes); it should be very slack (wet).

Place the dough in a lightly floured bowl. Let it rise for 1 hour, then gently deflate it. Let it rise another hour, then turn it out onto a liberally floured worktable and sprinkle lots of flour on top. Flatten the dough to about 3/4-inch thick and and cut it into two pieces, each about 4 x 10 inches. Cover the loaves with heavily oiled plastic wrap and let them rise on well-floured boards or parchment.

Preheat oven to 425. Transfer the bread to a floured baking and bake the ciabatta until it's a deep golden brown, approximately 18 to 20 minutes.

***Adapted from a King Arthur Flour recipe.