Ciabatta Recipe: My Biga Bread at 76% Hydration

Ciabatta looks simple because the ingredient list is short, but the dough asks for restraint. I want a thin crisp crust, a light irregular crumb and enough strength to hold large cells without turning the loaf into a tight white bread. For this version I use a stiff overnight biga and 76% total hydration: wet enough for an open crumb, but still practical in a professional or serious home workflow.

This formula makes about 896 g of dough, enough for two medium ciabattas of about 448 g each before baking.

A biga is a stiff yeast preferment. In this formula it contains 30% of the total flour and only 60% water relative to that flour. The low hydration keeps the preferment relatively firm while a long fermentation develops aroma and fermentation by-products without making the final dough sour.

I prefer it here because ciabatta benefits from flavour before the final dough is mixed. The biga also gives the dough a mature fermentation base while leaving enough fresh flour in the final mix to build strength.

Professional ciabatta formulas do not all use the same hydration. Good references span roughly the low 70s to around 80%, depending on flour, equipment and the intended crumb. I use 76% as a balanced professional baseline.

At this hydration the dough should be sticky and elastic, not pourable. If it behaves like batter, either the flour is too weak, the gluten is underdeveloped or too much water was added before the dough could hold it.

Stickiness is part of ciabatta. Adding bench flour into the dough changes the formula and closes the crumb. I use flour mainly as a surface barrier during dividing and proofing, not as a correction ingredient.

If the dough feels unmanageably loose, I first check dough temperature, gluten development and whether the final water should have been held back as bassinage.

Bassinage means holding back part of the formula water and adding it gradually after the dough has begun to develop. This lets the gluten organize before it is asked to carry the full hydration.

It is especially useful with ciabatta because different flours absorb water very differently. I would rather stop a little short of the final water than force a weak flour to accept a hydration it cannot support.

The fold after the first hour of bulk fermentation strengthens the dough without the oxidation and heat that can come from excessive mechanical mixing. It redistributes temperature and fermentation gases while tightening the gluten network.

The goal is not to squeeze out every bubble. Lift and fold with enough intention to create tension, then leave the dough alone to continue fermenting.

Ciabatta is divided more than it is conventionally shaped. I turn the aerated dough onto a floured bench, ease it into a rectangle and cut pieces with a sharp bench knife. I do not pre-shape tightly and I do not roll it like a baguette.

The large irregular cells are fragile at this stage. Every unnecessary press removes gas that cannot be fully rebuilt during the short final proof.

A properly proofed piece looks lighter, wider and visibly aerated. It should feel delicate when moved. Time is only a reference; dough temperature, room temperature and biga maturity all change the clock.

If the dough still feels tight and springs back immediately, it likely needs more proofing. If it spreads very flat, trembles excessively and loses structure when touched, it may be over-proofed or too warm.

Steam delays crust setting during the first part of the bake. That gives the loaf time to expand before the surface becomes rigid, and it helps produce the thin crisp crust I expect from ciabatta.

I use steam only at the beginning. The later part of the bake needs a drier oven so the crust can become crisp and the interior can finish setting.

Yes. Some professional ciabatta formulas include a small amount of olive oil and others are completely lean. I keep this baseline oil-free because I want the flour, fermentation and crust to stay very clear.

If you add oil, treat it as a deliberate variation rather than assuming ciabatta requires it. A few percent of flour weight is enough to soften the crumb and slightly change handling.

Ciabatta is best on the day it is baked. Once completely cool, keep it wrapped at room temperature for short storage. Refrigeration makes lean bread stale quickly, so I avoid it.

For longer storage, freeze the fully cooled loaf or portions airtight. Thaw at room temperature and refresh around 180–200°C / 356–392°F until the crust becomes crisp again.

I want a light loaf with a thin crisp crust, an irregular open crumb and translucent cell walls rather than a dry cottony interior. The holes should come from fermentation, hydration and gentle handling, not from leaving the bread underbaked.

If the crumb is open but gummy, the bake is wrong. If the loaf is dry with tiny even holes, the dough was usually under-hydrated, over-handled or insufficiently fermented. Good ciabatta balances openness with enough structure to slice cleanly and carry food without collapsing.