My favourite bread recipes by Paul Hollywood

I must say I love his baking book so I have been following his love of making bread.

Ciabatta

I made this ciabatta bread this morning following instruction from the book how to bake by Paul Hollywood. I love his book as it easy to following step by step.

I borrowed the book from my local library and I have to return it a few days from now.

I had made a few of his recipes for example the foccacia, feta and ciabatta breads.

I have to keep the recipe in my blog as for my future reference.

This straightforward ciabatta recipe is relatively easy and satisfying to make.

To get that classic ciabatta shape and open texture, you need a very wet and sloppy dough, so you really have to make it in an electric mixer.

What I need are:

500 g strong white read flour, plus extra for dusting

10 g instant yeast

10 g salt

                                   

40 g olive oil

400 ml tepid water

Semolina for dusting

       

Follow step by step from;

-       Lightly oil a 2-3 litre square plastic container. ( Paul says “ it’s important to use a square tub as it helps shape the dough.)

 -       Put the flour, salt and yeast into the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook.

( I don’t have a mixer so I used my hand mixed) don’t put the salt directly on the top of the yeast because the salt kills the yeast.

-       Add olive oil and three-quarters of the water and begin mixing on a slow speed as the dough starts to come together, slowly add the remaining water.  Then mix for a further 5-8 minutes on a medium speed until the dough is smooth and stretch.

-       Tip the dough into the prepared tub, cover with a tea towel and leave until at least doubled, even trebles in size 1-2 hours or longer.

-       Heat your oven to 220 c (I used 200c) and line 2 baking trays with baking parchment or silicone paper.

ready for an oven

-       Dust your work surface heavily with flour – add some semolina too, if you have some. Carefully tip out the dough (it will be very wet) onto the work surface, trying to remain a rough square shape. Rather than knocking it back, handle it gently so you keep as much air in the dough as possible.  Coat the top of the dough with more flour and/ or semolina. Cut the dough in half lengthways and divide each half lengthways into 2 strips. You should now have 4 pieces of dough. Stretch each piece of dough lengthways a little and place on the prepared baking tray.

-       Leave the ciabatta dough to rest for a further 10 minutes, then bake for 25 minutes, or until the loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when taped on the base. Cool on a wire rack.

let it cool

keep in plastic bag

Finally, I have done my ciabatta bread.


Reference of this blog : How to bake by Paul Hollywoood, Bloombury publisher.