Hamelman's Poolish Ciabatta

[james]

Re: Hamelman's Poolish Ciabatta

That is SOOOOOOO COOOOOOL!

Thanks Frances,
James

[james]

Re: Hamelman's Poolish Ciabatta

Hi Lizy-s,

Welcome aboard! I just checked and saw that the Ciabatta recipe did not have a Baker's % version. Sorry about that -- our oversight. I have made that change to reflect the way I have been doing it for some time.

You can find the new recipe here:

Ciabatta Italian Hearth Bread

Let us know how it goes for you.
Regards,
James

[Mitchamus]

Re: Hamelman's Poolish Ciabatta

I'm trying the recipe mentioned in the latest forno bravo newsletter, I hope this is the right place to post...

I have found a few problems with the recipe on this page:
Ciabatta Italian Hearth Bread
(this is the one linked from the newsletter)

for the poolish - not sure what kind of pancake batter you guys use, but 300g of flour and 300g of water produced a sticky gooey mess, nothing like the described "pancake batter consistency" you can ladle into a pan..

also if you look at the differences in the by weight and by volume recipes for the dough:
(copied and pasted verbatim)


By Weight
The poolish, plus
700gr flour
20gr salt
9gr yeast
430gr water (73% final hydration)

By Volume
The poolish, plus
2 7/8 cups flour
! Tbl salt
1 1/4 tsp yeast
1/2 cup water

in the by volume recipe it call for 1/2 cup water
1/2cup of water is 125ml which is 125g ....
but in the weight recipe
430g of water is used... this is 430ml or about 1 & 3/4 cups... not 1/2 cup as mentioned in the volume???


surely this can't be right.... right?... or have I been smoking cigars with the plastic still on?

cheers,
Mitch.

(sorry for the "thinking out loud" posting....)

[Dutchoven]

Re: Hamelman's Poolish Ciabatta

surely this can't be right.... right?... or have I been smoking cigars with the plastic still on?

cheers,
Mitch.

(sorry for the "thinking out loud" posting....)

I don't think you've been smoking cigars with the plastic on...sounds like there was something inadvertently omitted there...perhaps a character or two...we'll get it figured out
Best
Dutch

[Pdiff]

Re: Hamelman's Poolish Ciabatta

I've been having better luck with Hammelmans recipe. The folds are a bit messy, but help. I have also started using bricks in my conventional elec. oven. I use 3 standard red building bricks spaced evenly about 8" above my pizza stone. The oven is started at 500* 1-1.5 hrs before baking (usually turn it on as the final proof starts). This seems to work well for boosting the spring. Not as good as WFO, but until I get one built, it will do :-)

Does anyone here have opinions on the recommendation of adding a small amount of milk to the liquid to prevent excessive (large) pockets? The latest Cooks Illustrated suggested that. That is one issue I'm trying to clear up.

Pdiff

[berryst]

Re: Hamelman's Poolish Ciabatta

James
I am the farthest thing from an expert but in a rustic bread class I took the salt was added later in the cycle. Perhaps you could try mixing in the salt after the rise then make the loves and do a second rise. This is what we did.....salt inhibits yeast

[MAVANO]

Re: Hamelman's Poolish Ciabatta

well this is what I found on this recipe web site EASY & DELICIOUS RECIPES ON E-RCPS
made a very good ciabatta ,A bit time consuming but well worthed

[gjbingham]

Re: Hamelman's Poolish Ciabatta

First I've ever heard that the salt inhibits the yeast in bread dough. I can imagine in large concentrations that is likely the case, but I wonder if that is really true in such small percentages as those found in the flour to salt ratio in bread. (?) Certainly, I don't remember Reinhart, nor any of the authors of my bread books saying anything about it.

I'm curious what others think about this idea. Interesting thought.

[Frances]

Re: Hamelman's Poolish Ciabatta

I've read several times that you can (should?) mix the salt in after all the other ingredients, though not as late as after the first rise.

But I find it really irritating to get the salt evenly distrubuted throughout the dough - its all gritty and I keep worrying hat there'll be pockets of salt and large unsalted areas in the bread. So I just don't bother with that bit.

[Dutchoven]

Re: Hamelman's Poolish Ciabatta

I've read several times that you can (should?) mix the salt in after all the other ingredients, though not as late as after the first rise.

But I find it really irritating to get the salt evenly distrubuted throughout the dough - its all gritty and I keep worrying hat there'll be pockets of salt and large unsalted areas in the bread. So I just don't bother with that bit.

I agree with Frances, certainly not as late as after primary fermentation. The salt does give the yeast some trouble but, not really so significantly. Generally we mix the dry ingredients together and then gradually add them to the liquid ingredients. I believe CJim adds the salt just after the dough has come together in the mixer. Not a bad idea to do that. I feel what you are trying to avoid is having the yeasts and salt fully incorporated into the hydrated flour.
Best
Dutch

[CanuckJim]

Re: Hamelman's Poolish Ciabatta

Dutch,

I started adding the salt once the other ingredients are incorporated in the mixer but before the dough forms a ball because we make so many wild yeast breads here. In my experience, wild yeast is more susceptible to direct contact with salt than the commercial variety. Even so, the practice developed into a habit and is now part of our mis en place routine for all breads. Can't hurt, after all.

Jim

[gjbingham]

Re: Hamelman's Poolish Ciabatta

Good answer. I can believe that wild yeasts are more susceptible to salt concentrations in dough.

Sounds very similar to wild yeast fermentation in wines. The alcohol produced by fermentation inhibits and eventually kills/inactivates the wild yeasts at a much lower alcohol levels than commercial wine yeasts do.

[MAVANO]

Re: Hamelman's Poolish Ciabatta

I'am sorry people I've been trying to post some pictures of the ciabatta bread but no matter what I do it does not work as you can see I posted a picture of a football player I dont know how but did it twice must learn how to .sorry everyone

[Dutchoven]

Re: Hamelman's Poolish Ciabatta

I'am sorry people I've been trying to post some pictures of the ciabatta bread but no matter what I do it does not work as you can see I posted a picture of a football player I dont know how but did it twice must learn how to .sorry everyone

Mavano
You should be able to click the manage attachments button on the additonal options area on your message screen and then browse the photos you wish to post. Unless the photos are too large, in which case you will have to make them smaller using some type of editing software or...you could email them to yourself and allow your email program to make the pictures smaller.
Hope this helps!
Dutch

[MAVANO]

Re: Hamelman's Poolish Ciabatta

O.K. I started http://picasaweb.google.com/mavano.f...eat=directlink check out this ciabatta from this site EASY & DELICIOUS RECIPES ON E-RCPS