100% Biga Ciabatta

Those words alone make me curious. This slow fermented ciabatta is packed with flavour. Normally when we make bread, we preferment part of the total flour. This on the other hand is fully made of preferment giving it an extra flavour punch. I came up with this when I was making a 100% biga pizza for which you can find a recipe here. And come to think of it many breads can be made this way. I will surely add some more to the 100% preferment recipe list in the future.

That is the beauty of bread making – there is always something interesting to discover. A lot of methods can be adapted to be used in different recipes.

I hope that it’s the reason you are here. We don’t concentrate only on recipes, but we try and understand the principles behind them.

The method for this recipe is super simple. Make the biga, proof it for up to 24 hours, add some water, yeast, salt & olive oil. Knead it to bring it all together. From there it’s just a regular ciabatta.

This recipe makes 4 large ciabattas. To make more simply multiply the amount of ingredients.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the biga –

290g (10.2oz) strong white bread flour

10g (0.35oz) wholemeal flour

Tiny pinch of yeast

150g (5.3oz) water at around 14C (57F) if your kitchen is around 22C (72F). *You don’t want the biga to be too warm as it may over ferment. If your kitchen is warm, then place the biga in a cooler spot or cut down the fermentation time.

To learn more about dough temperature control click here.

For the main dough –

40g (1.4oz) cold water

1g (0.03oz) instant dry yeast or 3g (0.1oz) fresh yeast or 1.2g (0.04oz) active dry yeast

6g (0.2oz) salt

20g (0.7oz) olive oil

Method

1. Make the biga. In a bowl combine the water and yeast. Mix to disperse. Add the flours and mix to a dough. Knead the dough until there is no more dry flour left. This is a slightly dry biga at just 50% hydration. Cover it and ferment for 18 – 24 hours.
2. Add the remaining yeast to the remaining water and let it hydrate for a minute. Add the yeast water to the biga. Pour in the olive oil and sprinkle over the salt.
3. With a wet hand work the ingredients together. Squeeze the dough until everything is well combined.
4. Tip the dough out on your table and knead it using the stretch & fold method for around 8 minutes. *Desired dough temperature 24-25C (75-77F). If your dough is warmer, then it will ferment more rapidly. If it is cooler, then it will take longer. Adjust proofing time accordingly. If your dough is too cool after kneading, then simply knead it for longer until it comes up to the correct temperature.
5. Cover and proof 1 hour.
6. Fold .
7. Proof for 1 hour.
8. Fold.
9. Proof for 1 hour.
10. Flatten the dough out on a well-floured surface. Using your dough scraper divide it into 4 equal pieces. Place the ciabattas on a floured ‘couche’ or use parchment paper like I did.
11. Final proof 1.5 – 2 hours. During this time preheat your oven to 240C (465F) fan off. Preheat your baking vessel during this time too, if you are using one. *If your dough or kitchen are warmer it may be fully fermented in as little as 45 – 60 minutes.
12. Bake the ciabattas for 15 – 17 minutes until puffed up and golden brown all over.

Let them cool down a little before tucking in! Enjoy.

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Ciabattas makes the best sandwiches in my opinion. This wholemeal version has a rich flavour, and the preferment gives it a great crust.

This recipe makes 4 large ciabattas. Watch the video down below to see detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the poolish –

100g (3.5oz) strong white bread flour

100g (3.5oz) wholemeal flour

Pinch of yeast

200g (7oz) water at around 20C (68F)

For the main dough –

100g (3.5oz) stong white bread flour

100g (3.5oz) wholemeal flour

8g (0.3oz) salt

3g (0.1oz) dry yeast or 3x the amount of fresh yeast

15g (0.5oz) olive oil

100g (3.5oz) water at around 20C (68F)

To learn more about dough temperature when using a preferment click here.

Method

1. Make the poolish by mixing the water, pinch of yeast and flour and fermenting for 10 – 12 hours.
2. In a large bowl add the remaining water, yeast, salt, oil and poolish. Mix to combine.
3. Add the white and wholemeal flours and mix until no dry flour left.
4. Knead the dough using the stretch & fold method for 10 minutes or 500 turns if you want to count them. Desired dough temperature 24 – 25C (75 – 77F).
5. Cover and proof for 30 minutes.
6. Fold.
7. Proof for 30 minutes.
8. Fold.
9. Proof for 30 minutes.
10. Divide and place on a floured towel. Start preheating your oven to 230C (450F) fan off!
11. Final proof 30 – 45 minutes.
12. Bake for 15 – 18 minutes.

This is the ultimate ciabatta. I think the picture says it all.

If you like your sourdough bread, then this should definitely be on your list. And if you have never handled high hydration dough, then this is the perfect bread to try for the first time. 

Ciabatta is a very simple bread to make. It may look like something that requires a lot of skill, but that could not be farther from the truth. Most other breads have to be preshaped, shaped and scored. Ciabatta does not require any of those individual steps as it is divided, shaped and scored at once right after bulk fermentation. This makes them practically fool proof.

Watch the video down below to see detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the levain –

200g (7.05oz) strong white bread flour

200g (7.05oz) room temperature water at around 20 – 22C (68 – 71F). If your kitchen is warmer then lower the water temp by 1 – 2C (2 – 3F), if cooler, then vice versa.

20g (0.7oz) sourdough starter

For the main dough –

200g (7.05oz) strong white bread flour

110g (3.9oz) water at room temperature around 20-22C (68-71F). If your kitchen is warmer then lower the water temp by 1-2C (2-3F), if cooler then vice versa

8g (0.3oz) salt

15g (0.5oz) olive oil

To learn more about dough temperature control when using a preferment click here.

Method

1. Make the levain by mixing the water, flour, and sourdough starter. Ferment for 12 – 16 hours or until at least doubled in size and strong.
2. Once the levain is done add the rest of the flour and all but a couple of tablespoons of water and mix until well combined.
3. Autolyse the dough for 30 – 60 minutes. Dissolve the salt in the left-over water to make it easier to work into the dough.
4. Add the salted water and the oil to the dough and mix to combine.
5. Knead the dough using the stretch and fold method for around 10 minutes until good gluten development. Desired dough temperature 22 – 24C (72-75F). If your dough is warmer, then it may take less time to ferment. If it is cooler, then it may take longer. Adjust the proofing times accordingly.
6. Ferment for 45 minutes.
7. Fold #1.
8. Ferment for 45minutes.
9. Fold.
10. Ferment for 45 minutes.
11. Divide and place on to a well-floured couche or a thick tea towel.
12. Final proof 45 minutes. During the final proof pre-heat your oven and your baking vessel to 240C (460F) no fan. 
13. Invert the ciabattas and bake them for 15 – 17 minutes.

Cool down and enjoy with your favourite fillings.

Remember that every sourdough starter is different and the condition in every kitchen are different, so take the given fermentation times with a grain of salt as they may vary for you.

Ciabatta makes the best sandwiches in my opinion.

This version here is made with a lot of prefermented flour. More than half in fact. The resulting bread is tangy and has a distinct crispy crust. Using more preferment achieves this effect. You could also change the amount to your liking. Simply move some of the water and flour from the poolish to the main dough.

I have various other ciabatta recipes on this website and on my youtube channel. Wholemeal ciabatta, sourdough ciabatta, and even a no-knead ciabatta for when you’re feeling lazy. 

Ingredients

For the poolish (pre-ferment):

300g (10.5oz) strong white bread flour.

300g (10.5oz) water at around 20C (68F) if your kitchen is around 20-22C (68-72F). If it is warmer, then lower the water temperature by 1 – 2C (33-35F) and vice versa.

0.3g (0.01oz) dry yeast – if your scales only weigh in whole grams then weigh out one gram and take off a third to get 0.3 and the same goes for imperial units.

For the main dough:

200g (7.1oz) strong white bread flour.

65g (2.3oz) water at 25C (77F) if your kitchen is around 20 – 22C (68-72F). If it is warmer, then lower the water temp by 1 – 2C (33-35F) and vice versa.

10g (0.35oz) salt.

5.5g (0.2oz) dry yeast or 3x the amount of fresh yeast.

To learn more about bread dough temperature control when using a preferment click here.

Method

1. Make the poolish by mixing the water, yeast, and flour until combined. Cover and ferment for 12 – 16h. If your poolish is ready, but you are not, then pop it in the fridge to cool it down and slow the fermentation. Come back to it when you are ready and use it straight from the fridge.
2. To make the main dough add the remaining yeast to the water and disperse.
3. Pour this into the ripe polish, add the salt and mix until combined.
4. Add the flour and mix thoroughly.
5. Using the stretch & fold technique knead the dough for around 6 – 7 minutes. *Desired dough temperature 25 – 26C (76 – 70F). If your dough is warmer, then it will ferment more rapidly. If it is cooler, then it will take longer. Adjust proofing time accordingly.
6. Fold three times at 15 – 20minute intervals. If your dough is at the right temperature, then fold every 20 minutes. If it is warmer, then every 15minutes. After the first fold pre-heat your oven to 230C (450F) no fan or 210C (410F) with fan.
7. After the last fold leave to proof for another 15 – 20min.
8. Divide the dough into 6 equal ciabattas and place on a floured cloth.
9. Final proof 20 – 30mins or until visibly puffed up.
10. Bake for around 18 – 20 minutes. Your oven may be more or less powerful than mine, so your ciabattas may bake more quickly or take longer. Keep an eye on them to get a perfect bake.

Let it cool down and enjoy!