- 1 recipe Ciabatta
- 3 additional tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil for oiling the pan and seasoning the dough
- ½ teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt
- 1-3 MEASURING, MIXING AND KNEADING, AND FIRST FERMENTATION
- Make the dough according to the directions for Ciabatta through the first fermentation stage.
- 4 DIVIDING
- Since you are making just 1 loaf, skip to Step 5!
- 5 SHAPING
- Lightly coat a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with 2 tablespoons of the additional olive oil. Set aside.
- Generously coat a clean work surface with flour.
- Generously flour the top of the dough and, using a bowl scraper, scrape the dough onto the floured work surface. Lightly dust the exterior of the dough with flour and allow the dough to rest for 30 seconds. Sprinkle with additional flour to lightly cover all of the dough.
- If the dough is very sticky, lightly flour your hands and add more flour to the work surface. If the dough sticks to the table, use your bench scraper to lift it up; do not pull and stretch the dough.
- Lightly press down on the dough with a flat hand, forming the dough into a large rectangle. Keeping your hands absolutely flat, continue to gently press the dough into a larger rectangle, approximately the same size and shape as the oiled baking pan. The dough should be an even ½ inch thick. Working from the edge nearest to you, loosely fold the dough into thirds, brushing away any excess flour with a soft pastry brush.
- Gently lift the dough onto the oiled baking pan and unfold the dough, using flat hands to carefully fit the dough into the pan so that the pan is evenly covered.
- Using a pastry brush (or your hands), lightly coat the top of the dough with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- 6 FINAL FERMENTATION
- Place the baking pan in a warm (75°F to 80°F), draft-free place. Record the time in your Dough Log, as well as the exact time required for the final fermentation, and set your timer. It should take 45 minutes to 1 hour for the final proofing; however, you should keep a close eye on the dough, because if it is overproofed it will be unusable.
- About 30 minutes before you are ready to bake, move the oven rack to one rung below the center. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- To determine whether the dough is ready to be baked, uncover and gently make a small indentation in the center of the dough with your fingertip. If the indentation slowly and evenly disappears, the bread is ready to bake.
- 7 BAKING
- Using your fingertips, randomly poke the dough to create “dimples” all over the top. Evenly sprinkle the rosemary and then the salt all over the top.
- Transfer the baking sheet to the preheated oven and bake until the dough rises and the crust is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and carefully lift the focaccia from the pan. Immediately place on a cooling rack to cool, as the bread will quickly become soggy if left in the pan.
- Let cool slightly and then cut into pieces and serve. Cool for at least hour before wrapping for storage.
- Final Fermentation
- Quick tip for final fermentation:
- Your finger is the only tool you need to determine whether bread is ready to bake.
- The final fermentation, often called “proofing” by home bakers, is when the bread takes on volume. Whether the dough is in a banneton, in a couche, or on a baking sheet, transfer it to a warm (75°F to 80°F), draft-free place.
- Record the time in your Dough Log, as well as the exact time required for the final fermentation, and set your timer. It will usually take about 1 hour for the final proofing, although some recipes may take less or more time. You should keep a close eye on the dough, since it will be unusable if it is overproofed.
- To determine whether the dough is ready to be baked, remove the plastic wrap and gently make a small indentation in the center of the dough with your fingertip. If the indentation slowly and evenly disappears, the bread is ready to bake.
- If the indentation quickly pops back up, the bread is not yet ready, to bake. Again, cover loosely with plastic wrap and let ferment for an [additional 15 minutes. Check again, making another small indentation in the center. If it still pops back up, cover and continue to ferment for another 15 minutes. If still not ready, cover and continue to ferment, checking every 5 minutes until the indentation disappears slowly and evenly.
- If, on the other hand, the indentation causes the entire shape to completely deflate, the dough is overproofed. This means that it has been allowed to rest for too long. It is now unusable and would yield an unpleasant texture and flavor if baked.