Perfect and Easy Ciabatta in a Standard Oven (No Mixer Needed).

They say you can't make open-crumb Ciabatta without a machine. They say 90% hydration is a nightmare to handle. Today, on Simply Easy Cooking, we break the rules.

This is the "Impossible Ciabatta." We are using a Poolish pre-ferment and high hydration to get massive air pockets and a crispy crust, but we are doing it with zero kneading. No mixer, no sweat, just patience and technique.

The "Impossible" Specs:

Hydration: ~92% (High Hydration)

Method: No-Knead / Coil Fold

Oven: Standard Home Oven

The Recipe (Makes 2 Loaves)

The Poolish (Make this the night before or 12h prior):

100g Flour

100ml Water

3g Dry Yeast

The Main Dough:

All the Poolish (from above)

200g Flour

175ml Water (Room Temp)

60g Olive Oil (For that tender crumb and golden crust)

6g Salt

10g Sugar

Instructions:

Mix: Combine water, oil, flour, salt, sugar, and the mature Poolish. Mix until combined. Do not knead.

Rest: Let sit for 20-30 minutes.

Transfer: Move dough to a greased container. Pro Tip: Keep a pitcher of water nearby—wet hands don't stick!

The Folds: Perform a coil fold. Rest for 1 hour. Repeat this process 3 times total. (Total bulk fermentation: ~3 hours).

Shape: Flour your work surface generously. Pour out the dough. Flour the top. Gently stretch into a rectangle and cut into two loaves.

Proof: Place on parchment paper and let relax for a few minutes while the oven heats.

Bake: Preheat oven to 470°F (240°C).

Bake with steam: 10 minutes at 470°F (240°C).

Remove steam/lower heat: 5 minutes at 440°F (225°C) until golden.

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