Sourdough Ciabatta

Total Time: 2 hrs 20 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1 cup sourdough starter
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 6 -8 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Recipe

• 1 in a large bowl mix together the water, milk, olive oil, and starter.
• 2 mix the yeast and salt into the flour.
• 3 stir 6 cups of flour into the liquid mixture, a cup at a time, until you have a dough the consistency of drop-cookie batter.
• 4 turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead, adding more flour as necessary, until the dough is smooth and satiny.
• 5 the dough should be on the slack side, but not oozy; it needs to be able to hold its shape in the oven.
• 6 place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel.
• 7 place the bowl in a warm spot and let the dough rise, undisturbed, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
• 8 punch the dough down and turn it onto a lightly floured work surface. knead the dough gently and divide it into three pieces.
• 9 form the loaves into torpedo shapes, and place the loaves on parchment-lined baking sheets.
• 10 with a serrated knife or lamé, make three slashes in the tops of the loaves, each 1/2-inch deep.
• 11 cover with a damp towel.
• 12 let the loaves rise until they look puffy.
• 13 this should take approximately 30 minutes. while the loaves are rising, preheat the oven to 425°f.
• 14 brush or spray the loaves with water; a plant mister is good for this job.
• 15 bake for 10 minutes, spraying the loaves with water two more times.
• 16 lower the oven to 375°f and bake for an additional 25 minutes, or until golden brown.