Ciabatta bread

1. Make the Poolish:

2. Combine the flour, water and yeast in a med bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon until fully combined and the mixture is smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and allow it to ferment at room temp for 15 to 20 hours.

3. Make the Dough:

4. Add the Poolish and all ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer with the hook attachment. Mix on low speed until all the flour is moistened, about 2 mins. Increase the speed to med-low and mix for about 16 mins. The dough will be soft, wet and sticky much like batter.

5. Lightly coast the inside of a large bowl with olive oil. Use a silicone dough scraper to scrape the dough into the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hr at room temp (I used the proof on my oven).

6. Using a greased scraper or damp fingers, gently grab one side of the dough, lift up high and stretch it over the top of itself. Turn the bowl 180 degrees and stretch the same way. Rotate 90 degrees, stretch and fold. Rotate 180 degrees to stretch and fold the final side. Flip the dough over so the bottom becomes the top. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temp for 45 mins or proof in oven. Repeat folding two more times, then cover with wrap and let sit for an additional 45 mins after each.

7. Adjust oven racks one near centre and another below. Place a 9x13 cake pan on lower rack and an inverted baking sheet on the upper rack. Heat the oven to 450F.

8. Dust your work surface with flour and let the dough slide out of the bowl onto the counter. Be very gentle here so you don't knock all the air out of the dough and try to handle the dough as little as possible. Dust the top of the dough with flour. Using 2 bench scrapers, carefully manipulate the dough from the sides to form a square. Take care not to put pressure on top of the dough.

9. Cut the dough in half, down the middle of the square. Gently shape each half into loaves by using the bench scrapers to manipulate the sides.

10. Invert a large baking sheet and place a sheet of parchment paper across the top. Using both bench scrapers, slide them under both ends of the dough and transfer onto the parchment. Repeat with the remaining loaf. Shape into rectangle.

11. Cover with a lint-free cloth to prevent the loaves from drying out. Proof in a draft-free place until puffy and the surface develops small bubbles, about 30 mins.

12. Bowl water in a kettle. Mist the loaves with water and carefully slide the parchment with the loaves onto the heated baking sheet in the oven using a jerking motion. Immediately pour the boiling water into the cake pan and quickly close the oven door.

13. Bake until the crust is a deep golden brown, about 25-35 mins.

14. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

15. If the bread softens the next day you can spritz with water and toast in the oven.