I scoured the internet for a good ciabatta recipe, but couldn’t find one that worked. I just wanted it to look the same as Paul Hollywood’s. So, I figured it out all on my lonesome. Below is the best recipe I could come up with.
Ingredients:
1tsp yeast
1 cup of warm water
2 cups of flour
1 tsp salt
olive oil (just enough to brush over the loaves once they go in the oven)
a spray bottle full of water
a whole lot of patience and time
Recipe Instructions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F and line a baking dish with parchment paper
Add 1tsp yeast, 1tsp salt, and 1 cup of lukewarm water to a bowl
Stir until the yeast dissolves and the mixture smells yeasty
Add 2 cups of flour to the wet mixture and stir until just combined
Cover with plastic wrap and place on top of the preheated oven to proof for a total of 2 hours
Uncover the dough every 30 mins and fold it over itself for 8 folds; do this a total of 3 times within the 2 hours of proofing, and make sure to cover with the plastic wrap after each set of folding
After the full 2 hours of proofing and folding, tip the bowl over and let the dough gently fall unto a heavily floured surface
Separate the dough into 4 even pieces
Gently stretch each piece of dough into a rectangle and then roll it in on itself, being careful to maintain air bubbles
Shape the four pieces of dough into squares (use a lot of flour so it doesn’t stick to your hands)
Cover with a cloth and let proof for a final 45 mins
After the final proofing, transfer the dough to the lined baking dish
Lightly brush the dough with olive oil
Place the loaves in the 450 degree F oven and immediately spritz with water before closing, so as to create steam
Bake for 20 mins
After 20 mins, open the oven and spritz again with water
Bake an additional 10 mins
Remove from the oven and tap the bottom of the bread to make sure it’s done
Below are five poems that I have previously published on this blog, along with my interpretation of each poem.
wallflower
you have to make them
make room for you
or you'll never learn
how to fly
You deserve a seat at the table. Don’t wait for others to make space for you. You need to make room for yourself because you deserve it, and you deserve it now. You are enough, and you deserve to be accepted. Once you realize this, you will excel immensely.
I find myself constantly searching
for mothers and sisters in the women around me
and being let down all over again
when the wires don’t connect
it’s hard being disappointed by family
I’m someone who is always looking for mother-figures and sister-figures in my life. I grew up in a male-dominant household, so from a young age I’ve craved the guidance of female role models. Much like a child, I look at these role models through rose-colored glasses. Conversely, unlike a child, I am mature enough to recognize when these women don’t live up to the unrealistic standard I have set for them. Therefore, I set myself up for disappointment when the women I view as my mothers and sisters can’t fulfill my emotional needs.
close your eyes
until you bleed out roots of light
and sink into the earth
and fall asleep
I began practicing meditation to deal with my anxiety and depression. When I practice visualization techniques during meditation, I like to envision light that sparks from the center of my body and moves outward in the form of roots. When I become especially relaxed through meditation, I sleep incredibly well.
my thoughts are not bad
just because you don’t like them
and your god doesn’t like them
my god
likes me enough
just fine
just the way I am
who are
you
to tell me differently?
Your thoughts aren’t bad, even if you don’t like them; even if they can be unpleasant, sometimes. You and your whole self need to love who you are, no matter what others think of you.
your chest is the earth
your fingers are the roots
your breath is the air
your mouth is the ocean
your cells are the creatures
and your hair is the jungle Â
you create our own world
your very own universe
I wrote this about my Significant Other. He is my whole world; every part of him is a part of that world. We’re creating our life together, and I love it.
Fudge It! 