Ciabotta

This makes the absolute best bread ever for panini, to mop up savory sauces, to make great bruscetta, or to just eat. The spray bottle is absolutely required for making good crust at home. Once you learn this trick, you'll find yourself using it any time you want a thick, crispy, and chewy crust.

1 1/3 cup water
3/4 teaspoon granulated dry yeast
2 cups unbleached bread flour
1 pinch sugar
1 splash milk
2 cups warm water
3/4 teaspoon granulated dry yeast
1 Tablespoon sea salt
1 Tablespoon olive oil
6 to 8 cups unbleached bread flour

To make starter, in large bowl combine 1 1/3 cup water, 3/4 tsp. yeast, sugar, and milk. Stir thoroughly. Cover with shower cap and leave for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Add 2 cups warm water, 3/4 tsp. yeast, salt and olive oil to starter in bowl. Add 2 cups bread flour, stir. Repeat. Repeat again. This dough is very soft and will never be kneaded. However, if, after 6 cups of flour it just seems too wet, keep adding additional flour in 1/2 cup increments. Cover bowl with shower cap and leave for 4 to 6 hours. Dough will usually be considerably more than doubled in size.

Place oven racks so that they divide the oven into thirds and preheat oven to 450 degrees. Sprinkle cornmeal on two cookie sheets and set aside. Fill spray bottle with tap water.

Generously flour large area on counter. Scrape out dough onto surface. It will be very soft and will seem very wet in comparison to most bread doughs. Cut dough into two pieces. By firmly patting, shape each half into the long slipper shape for which ciabotta is named. Lay each loaf onto one of the prepared cookie sheets.

Place cookie sheets into the oven and spray the loaves and oven sides generously with water. Close oven door. After 3, 6, and 9 minutes, respray oven sides with water. Don't worry of some water gets on the loaves, but don't deliberately soak them. At twelve minutes, switch the loaves on the racks to ensure even browning. The loaf that started on the bottom rack may not have risen quite as much as the one on top, but it will be fine anyway. Spray again before closing the oven.

In three minutes, spray oven sides for the last time. Bake an additional 5 minutes. Loaves should be getting well browned, you may remove them from the oven when they sound hollow when tapped on the bottom, or when browned to your satisfaction.

This recipe may be halved, but it always goes over so well that I wouldn't bother. Just freeze the second loaf if you feel certain that you can't eat it fast enough. Also, you may cut this into four loaves, or into roll size pieces; shorten cooking times to accommodate smaller loaves.