Ciabatta--say it, with me, class. Cha-BAHT-ta.¹ This is my favorite bread in the universe. It's time-consuming and messy to make, but when done well, there is nothing better. And please, by all that is good, make it by hand. You will never get the texture (soft with chewy lumps and enormous bubbles in it) right if you don't. This recipe makes two loaves--double it and freeze two for later. (See below for freezing tips.)

THE BIGA

"The biga" is the fancy Italian way of saying "the starter dough." This is the chewy part of your bread. Make it a day before you want your bread done.

1 cup+1 tbsp room-temp water
1/2 tbsp dry yeast
3 1/3 cups bread flour

1. This is the part where you get to use a food processor. Put your water in it, and sprinkle the water with yeast. Let it stand until the yeast dssolves, about 8 minutes.

2. Add 1 cup flour, blend. Scrape the sides, add another cup, blend and scrape; and the rest of it, blend and scrape. Blend it until small, moist clumps form.

3. Cover and chill overnight in a large, covered bowl². In the morning, it should have the consistency of thick oatmeal.

THE DOUGH

The messy part of your bread. Get out your timer. I recommend having another person on hand for this part because things can get awfully messy if you're not careful, and you might need someone to set the timer.

Biga
3/4 cup+2 tbsp room-temp water
a pinch of yeast
1/2 cup+3 tbsp semolina flour (a.k.a. pasta flour)
2 1/2 tsp salt

1. Cut the biga into walnut-sized pieces and put them in a large (I mean, really large), clean bowl. Add water, yeast and semolina.

2. Using ONE hand (hold the bowl with the other hand--get used to this because you'll be doing it a lot) squeeze these together for 2 minutes. Then work dough for 4 minutes by scooping sections from the sides into the center, blending it into a very soft mess. Scrape sides, let it sit uncovered for ten minutes.

3. Sprinkle salt over dough. Using ONE hand, knead dough by rotating bowl 1/4 turn at a time and scooping dough from sides into center. Do that until the dough starts to come away from the sides of the bowl--about 5 minutes. Scrape the bowl and your hand. Let it rest covered for 20 minutes.

4. Do the 1/4 turn thing 6 times, then turn the dough over, cover it, and let it sit for another 20 minutes.

5. Heat your oven to 425^oF (about 220^oC). Sprinkle your work surface with semolina--a lot of it. Put your dough on your snowfield and cut it in half with a big knife: keep the halves separated, and remember they'll spread. Let them stand uncovered for 20 minutes.

6. Put parchment paper³ on two big baking sheets and sprinkle that with semolina or cornmeal (cheaper option). Put each dough half on a baking sheet, semolina side up, and stretch it into a rough 16x4" rectangle. Press fingertips into dough in several places to dimple the crust--ciabatta trademark.

7. Bake about 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool a little and serve with olive oil, or just on its own. Buon appetito!

CHEF'S NOTES

Every now and then you get a bubble so big that part of the loaf of bread is hollow--this is totally OK and normal, it's just the luck of the draw. You didn't do anything wrong.

Double-wrap it in foil or triple-wrap it in plastic wrap and freeze it for about a month. Reheat it in the oven, or defrost it in the microwave.

You can make this in any size you like. We've had good luck with individual size loaves, or you can make really big ones, or you could make rolls. We also made it with half chestnut flour once for a Roman feast, and it was excellent, but we never did it again because it was expensive.

I think it's best fresh and plain, but it's good with any kind of pasta or soup or just Italian food in general, or any food in general. It makes great sandwiches and bruschetta, and it's the best bread I know of for a bread salad. Have fun with it.