First Friday in February 2011 = Bread and Laundry

     Well, it's Friday and I'm doing laundry and am going to bake bread later.  Last night I made the "poolish" for ciabatta bread, which is equal parts flour to water (660 grams flour and water) and a little yeast (4 grams).  I let it rise overnight, got up this morning and made the second dough, which is not as wet, (990g flour, 660g water, 8g yeast and 33g salt) in the Kitchen-aid mixer, when the dough was mixed thoroughly and was sticking to the hook, I combined the two doughs together.  I have the dough rising again, and soon will just kind of fold it over itself on the flour to give it a little more body, but not disturb the dough too much.  I will fold it in flour every hour, or so until it's "right", maybe 3 or 4 times.

Baguette

    Ciabatta bread is a very wet dough, and IMO you do not want to mix it very much.  the different size bubbles in the bread is what makes it look like Ciabatta.  I am actually going to turn this dough into baguettes, long, skinny loafs of bread.
     Baking is done at a high temp, 465 degrees, on a stone in the oven.  I also make sure I have moisture, or steam in the oven when I first start baking so the dough is really able to rise up.

Ciabatta