Ciabatta. Fresh from the fridge for 3 days.

I have officially uncovered the easiest and most delicious bread recipe in the world thanks to a South African called Trevor Daly.  You mix together some basic ingredients to make a bread dough, cover the dough bowl with cling film and leave in the fridge overnight or up to 3 days.  Over those 3 days you can pull bits of dough from the fridge, pop on a tray and have homemade ciabatta in 20 minutes (or pizza, see my blog of 27 April 2012).  

Makes 3 ciabatta loaves of 650 g each

Ingredients 

1 kg bread flour

10 g sachet instant yeast

4 tsp salt

750 ml ice cold water

Method

1. Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl and then gradually add the water stirring with a spoon. 

2. Wet your hands and then fold in the dough onto itself until it is smooth.  I added a little flour at this point to catalyse the change from sticky to smooth.

3. Leave the dough in the bowl and cover with cling film. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.

4. Preheat the oven to the highest it will go and place a baking tray in the oven to heat up.

5. Take a lump of dough from the fridge and on a lightly floured surface shape into a deep, wide, flat sausage, possibly adding some olives or sun-dried tomatoes in the process. 

6. Put the dough on the preheated baking tray for 15-20 minutes.  The loaf will be ready when it gives off a hollow sound when tapped underneath.

It was so unbelievably easy and makes 'shop bought' doughy and crispy bread that fills the kitchen with the most salivating smell.  You'd be mad not to have some made up for a weekend of guests or a busy week.