No-Knead Ciabatta

I have already had a bit of experience making no-knead bread - but this one takes the cake.  I love Ciabatta bread and have made it is the past  - but it usually takes a lot longer (actual work-wise) and is a lot more labor intensive.  I did have trouble getting the "hollow knocking" sound on the bread - I didn't have a loaf pan large enough to fit over the loaves.  Instead, to make sure a good crust formed, I frequently sprayed the inside of the oven with some water.  Another trick is placing a pan full of boiling water on the bottom of the stove.  I kept one loaf for myself (it made a wonderful black-bean burger bun and canvas for peanut butter sandwiches) and gave the other to the boys at 505.  This is a great sandwich bread - make it now!

No-Knead Ciabatta

Adapted from Jim Lahey

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of bread flour
• 1/4 teaspoon of instant yeast or active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
• 2 cups of tepid water

Directions:

1. The night before, mix the flour, yeast and salt. Slowly add the water as you bring the dough together with either your hand or a spatula. The dough will seem too wet, then seem too dry. It should end as a fairly shaggy and wet dough.
2. Cover the dough with a clean cotton cloth or a piece of plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm room for 12-18 hours
3. When you check the dough the next day after the allotted time has passed, it should be a bubbly wet dough.
4. Gently slide the dough out onto a floured cookie sheet. Split the dough into two and shape the dough into the desired shape of Ciabatta, which is a long slipper like shape. Cover the dough and let rise another 1-2 hours. It will roughly double in size.
5. Before the dough is done rising, preheat the oven to 220C. Place a baking tray in the middle rack.
6. Place the loaves on the baking tray and cover them with an upturned loaf pan.
7. Cook the bread for 20 minutes, before lowering the oven temperature to 180C and cooking for a further 10-15 minutes or until nicely coloured, when ready the bread will also sound hollow to a gentle knock.