Cheat's Bread (Ciabatta)

Here's my easiest bread yet, a chewy Italian ciabatta.

Just follow the recipe as per Lesson 11, but use all white plain organic flour, for authentic taste. However, when you get to the kneading, follow these instructions:

* Don't add too much flour to the 'sponge'; just enough so it holds together, but still nice and sticky.
* Proof and age in the fridge overnight
* Take it out of the fridge in the morning and lay it on a nice stone pizza slab.
* Shape into a ciabatta shape (about 5-10cm high, 30cm long, 15cm wide)
* Let it rise, covered, in a warm place for 2 to 3 hours, till room temperature.
* Bake in a 200C preheated oven until brown and 'hollow' to the tap
* This bread should be chewy and 'holey'** in texture.

**Blogger cannot be held responsible for size of holes, as this is entirely dependent on the mood of the sourdough yeasties :)

Variations:
Full Cream Milk Powder: Add 1/2 cup of milk powder when adding flour to make the dough. It adds a nice 'white bread' taste. Lovely for making sandwich rolls for work. But still healthy, 'cos it's sourdough!!!
Bake the bread in a loaf tin: You'll get a different shape, but it will be nice to slice and toast, serve with avocado and tomato!

This is by far the easiest sourdough recipe, because of the lack of kneading (easy on the elbows).