Sourdough Ciabatta

Allow to rest for 30 minutes in the oven with the light turned on

Perform second Stretch and fold

Allow to rest for 30 minutes in the oven with the light turned on

Perform 3rd Stretch and fold

Allow to rest for 60 minutes in the oven with the light turned on

Perform 4th Stretch and fold

The dough should have almost doubled in size by this time

Allow to rest for 60 minutes in the oven with the light turned on

Line a baking sheet or pizza peel with floured parchment paper

Dump the dough out onto a well floured surface and divide it into 2 equal parts

Gently but firmly stretch each half into a rectangular shape roughly 6 inches wide by 18 inches long.

Achieving a perfect rectangle is not the goal, just something close to it. Attempting to have the shape with a roughly even thickness is far more important. Naturally, some parts may be a little thicker than others. Dont worry we have a plan to fix that.

Transfer one rectangle to your floured and parchment lined baking sheet or pizza peel.

It will stretch a bit as you transfer it, the key is to work quickly and limit the space between your baking sheet and where your dough is.

Stack the 2nd rectangle on top of the first.

If one side of my first rectangle is thicker the other I will stack the thick side of my second rectangle ontop the thin side of the first. This helps even out my overall thickness.

Cover and allow to rest for 45 minutes to 2 hours. The longer you allow the dough to proof in this stage is the better your crump will turn out.

30 minutes into the final rest,

1. Place a pan with 3-4 cups of water at the bottom shelf of your oven
2. Place a pizza stone, Tawa, or upside-down baking sheet on the middle rack in your over
3. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees for 45 min (or until the water starts to steam)

Transfer the dough on the parchment paper to the pizza stone/Tawa/upside-down baking sheet

Bake for 26-29 minutes

Baking time is based upon your desired crust color for your ciabatta.

Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack