Overnight Biga Ciabatta

Ingredients

• Bread flour (biga)250 g
• Water (biga)125 g
• Instant yeast (biga, a generous pinch)0.5 g
• Bread flour (dough)250 g
• Water (dough)260 g
• Instant yeast (dough)3 g
• Salt11 g

Instructions

1. 1

   The night before: stir the biga ingredients into a stiff ball, cover, and leave at room temperature 12–16 hours until domed and honeycombed inside.

2. 2

   Bake day: squeeze the biga into the dough water in pieces, then mix in the flour, yeast, and salt until no dry spots remain. The dough will be very wet. That is correct.

3. 3

   Bulk ferment 2 hours with 3 sets of in-bowl folds, one every 30 minutes. Wet your hands each time.

4. 4

   Pour onto a heavily floured counter. Do not shape: cut into 2 rough rectangles with a bench scraper and stretch each slightly longer.

5. 5

   Proof 45 minutes on a floured couche or towel, seam side up. Meanwhile heat a baking steel or stone to 450°F.

6. 6

   Flip onto parchment, slide onto the steel, and bake 22–25 minutes with a pan of hot water below for steam. Cool fully before cutting or the crumb gums up.

Equipment

• Baking steel or stone
• Bench scraper
• Couche or floured towel
• Kitchen scale

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