Ciabatta

Steps

1. 1
   The night before, mix the biga flour, water and yeast into a rough, sticky dough. Cover and leave at room temperature for 12–16 hours, until bubbly and domed.
2. 2
   Add the dough flour, most of the dough water and the dough yeast to the biga and mix for 3–4 minutes. Rest for 20 minutes.
3. 3
   Add the salt with the remaining water and the olive oil and squeeze them through the dough until absorbed. The dough will be very wet; do not add flour.
4. 4
   Move it to an oiled container for 2 hours, giving it a set of stretch-and-folds every 30 minutes for the first 1½ hours: lift one side, fold it over, turn the container and repeat on all four sides.
5. 5
   Tip the dough onto a well-floured worktop, flour the top and cut it into two long rectangles without knocking out the air.
6. 6
   Lift each onto a floured sheet of baking paper, stretching it gently into a slipper shape about 30 cm long. Leave to rise, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Meanwhile heat the oven to 240°C (220°C fan) with a baking tray inside.
7. 7
   Slide the loaves on their paper onto the hot tray and bake for 25–30 minutes, until deep golden and hollow-sounding underneath.
8. 8
   Cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes before cutting.