Ciabatta — "slipper" in Italian, named for its flat, wide shape — achieves its characteristic large, irregular open crumb through very high hydration and minimal shaping. The paradox: a dough so wet that it can barely be handled produces bread with an almost hollow interior structure. The technique is non-intervention: the dough is mixed, fermented long, handled as little as possible, and baked with steam in the oven. Every act of shaping compresses and destroys the gas bubbles that produce the open crumb.
- **High hydration:** 80–90% hydration — the dough is almost a thick batter when first mixed. Handling requires wet hands and a dough scraper rather than traditional kneading - **Long fermentation:** 12–18 hours cold retard (in the refrigerator) or 4–6 hours at room temperature. The long fermentation develops the flavour and the gluten network without the mechanical action of kneading - **The fold:** Instead of kneading, the wet dough is folded on itself every 30 minutes during the first hour — each fold develops gluten without degassing. This stretch-and-fold technique replaces kneading for very wet doughs - **Minimal shaping:** The dough is carefully divided and placed on floured cloths without rolling or pressing — any compression collapses the gas bubbles - **Steam baking:** The oven must have steam in the first 10 minutes — a pan of boiling water placed in the base of the oven, or the bread baked covered for the first portion of the bake. Steam keeps the crust surface extensible during oven spring
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