With the gracious help of others who post in this group I have been
working on my ciabatta for a couple of months, trying to get to a
point where I can reliably produce a decent loaf. While I am not yet
to the point where I feel like I fully understand what it going on
inside the dough, I have at least conquered the basics and now can get
acceptable if not perfect loaves most of the time. I have posted
photos he

http://picasaweb.google.com/DocDough/Ciabatta1
http://picasaweb.google.com/DocDough/Ciabatta2
http://picasaweb.google.com/DocDough/Ciabatta3

of my most recent experiments in the hope that useful critiques will
be offered by more experienced bakers.
The experimental set-up, formulation, and process variables are
contained in the album properties. Photo captions relate to the
specific experiment(s) described there.

Doc

Doc wrote:

> With the gracious help of others who post in this group I have been
> working on my ciabatta for a couple of months, trying to get to a
> point where I can reliably produce a decent loaf. While I am not yet
> to the point where I feel like I fully understand what it going on
> inside the dough, I have at least conquered the basics and now can get
> acceptable if not perfect loaves most of the time.
>
> of my most recent experiments in the hope that useful critiques will
> be offered by more experienced bakers.
> The experimental set-up, formulation, and process variables are
> contained in the album properties. Photo captions relate to the
> specific experiment(s) described there.
>
> Doc
Hello Doc

Batch 1: unbleached lower gluten flour mixed 6 min @ speed 4.

Batch 2: bleached high gluten flour mixed 3 min @ speed 4.
Formula: 73% hydration,
30% of the flour prefermented with a sourdough starter at 100% hydration ,
2% salt,
0.5% instant yeast,
""WHAT IS THE INSTANT YEAST FOR? I THOUGHT THIS WAS A
SOURDOUGH NEWS GROUP ""
100 ppm ascorbic acid.

Three hr bulk ferment @ 75F, folded twice - after one hr and again after an
additional hour. Scaled to 500g loaves. Bench proof 20 min, then invert and
stretch onto Silpat-lined 1/2-sheet or onto peel and thence direct to hot
tiles. One loaf from each batch baked on Silpat-lined 1/2-sheet pan and 1
loaf from each batch baked directly on hot tiles (preheated to a surface
temp of 420F) 30 min bake (460F+steam, low fan for 5 min; 405F@50%
humidity, low fan for 10 min; 350F@20% humidity, intermittent fan for 15
min)

Joe Umstead

end of file

On Nov 19, 6:03 am, Joe Umstead > wrote:

> ""WHAT IS THE INSTANT YEAST FOR? I THOUGHT THIS WAS A
> SOURDOUGH NEWS GROUP ""

Joe,
For the moment the sourdough is in the 30% of the flour that is
prefermented. I am working up to a full sourdough ciabatta. If you
have a good sourdough-only process I would very much like to learn
more about it. Publish it here and put up some pictures and tell us
all how you do it.

In fact I did a batch of ciabatini today that was yeastless, and while
the photos are not yet ready to put up, the crumb texture came out
great. But the color was a bit pale and the crust was not as crisp as
I would like so it still needs work. It was a little lower hydration
(70%) than I have been using and had only 13% of the flour in the
preferment (and no yeast). The bulk ferment was a long 5 hrs at 99F.
More detail when the photos are edited.

Doc

Doc wrote:

> Joe,
> For the moment the sourdough is in the 30% of the flour that is
> prefermented. I am working up to a full sourdough ciabatta. If you
> have a good sourdough-only process I would very much like to learn
> more about it. Publish it here and put up some pictures and tell us
> all how you do it.
>
> In fact I did a batch of ciabatini today that was yeastless, and while
> the photos are not yet ready to put up, the crumb texture came out
> great. But the color was a bit pale and the crust was not as crisp as
> I would like so it still needs work. It was a little lower hydration
> (70%) than I have been using and had only 13% of the flour in the
> preferment (and no yeast). The bulk ferment was a long 5 hrs at 99F.
> More detail when the photos are edited.
>
> Doc
I to am new to sourdough and still working for that better loaf. By reading
here I have geten a much better loaf. What you get with all sourdough
starter is close to what I am getting also. As for pale crust use more heat
in the oven. I brush olive oil on crust when they come out of oven and
seams to help.

Joe Umstead



end of file

I brush olive oil on crust when they come out of oven and
> seams to help.
>

I wouldn't recommend brushing olive oil on a ciabatta as it's got lots
flour on the crust, that would just make a lovely mess!
Best as you said is to increase oven temp and also steam when loading.