Black Olive Ciabatta
Biga in Italian refers to the starter, which is left to lightly ferment before being kneaded into the main dough. It helps develop the bread’s flavour and airy texture. Best eaten on day of baking, but you can also freeze it.
Hands-on time 30min, plus (overnight) rising and cooling. Cooking time about
30min. Makes 3 loaves, each cuts into 8 slices
FOR THE STARTER (BIGA) 1tsp fast-action dried yeast 100g strong white flour FOR THE DOUGH
400g strong white bread flour, plus extra to dust
1¼tsp fast-action dried yeast 1tbsp extra virgin olive oil 150g black pitted olives, chopped, we used Kalamata
1 The night before you want to bake your ciabatta, make the starter. Mix yeast and 80ml tepid water in the bowl of a freestanding mixer. Leave for 5min, until frothy. Stir in flour to make a soft dough. Cover with a clean tea towel or clingfilm and leave to rest in a warm place for at least 4hr, ideally overnight.
2 To make the dough, add the rest of the flour to the starter in the mixer bowl, along with the extra yeast, oil and 300ml tepid water. Mix with the dough hook on a low speed for 5min, to make a soft, wet dough. Add 1tsp fine salt and the olives, mix for 5min more, until smooth and elastic.
3 Cover with a clean tea towel or clingfilm and leave to rise again for 1hr, or until doubled in size.
4 When your risen dough is ready, wet your hands, then take one side of the dough in the bowl, stretch it up and fold it over on top of itself. Turn the bowl 90° and repeat 7 more times. Re-cover and leave to rest and rise for 45min, then repeat the 8 stretches and folds once more, followed by the 45min rest and rise.
5 Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment. Generously dust the parchment with flour to prevent the dough from sticking and being difficult to handle. Gently tip dough on to the parchment. Dust the top of the dough with flour. Divide dough into 3 rough rectangles using a dough scraper, long palette knife or even the edge of a baking sheet – separating the loaves as best you can. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise again for 30min.
6 Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan) gas mark 7. Fill a small baking tray with water and put on the bottom of the oven to create steam. Bake the ciabatta on the baking sheet for 30min, or until golden brown and sounding hollow when base is tapped. Cool completely on a wire rack before serving. PER SLICE 89cals, 3g protein, 2g fat (<1g saturates), 16g carbs (<1g total sugars), 1g fibre FREEZE AHEAD Once cool, wrap loaves separately in clingfilm or freezer-safe bags and freeze for up to 1 month. To serve, reheat from frozen on a baking sheet in an oven preheated to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6 for 10min. Leave to cool a little before serving.