Via trinigourmet.com
Source: Kudos to Colin in New Zealand for alerting me to the fact that the base recipe I have been working from all this time actually originated in Gourmet Magazine! (and here I thought it was a friend’s)
Ingredients:
1/8 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 tablespoons warm water
1/3 cup warm water
1 cup bread flour
1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 tablespoons warm water
1 tsp brown sugar
2/3 cup warm water
2 tablespoons olive oil (edited in light of this comment 
)
2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Wholewheat flour for dusting
Directions:
1. To Make Sponge: In a small bowl stir together 1/8 teaspoon of the yeast and the warm water and let stand 5 minutes, or until creamy.
2. In a bowl stir together yeast mixture, 1/3 cup of the water, and 1 cup of the bread flour.
3. Stir 4 minutes, then cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let sponge stand at cool room temperature for 24 hours.
After 24 hours
STOP! Before you read on, please note that it is very important that you get these first 3 steps correct. The most common question I get is whether I really meant to add 1/3 cup of water to 1 cup of bread flour! Yes, I did
At first when you add the water you will get something that looks like this…
rather dry isn’t it?
That’s why the instructions say to stir for four minutes. See how it gradually comes together?
The above can only happen with constant folding. You don’t want a soft or liquid sponge at this point. It will soften considerably as it sits overnight. You want it to hold together.
If at the end it is still a little too dry you can add water by the tablespoon, but again just enough to hold it all together.
4. To Make Bread: In a small bowl stir together yeast, warm water and sugar and let stand 5 minutes, or until creamy.
5. In bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with dough hook blend together yeast mixture, sponge, water, oil, and flour at low speed until flour is just moistened; add salt and mix until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. The dough should be relatively firm at this point and clear the sides of the bowl. If it’s not gradually add more flour (by the 1/4 cup) until it forms as described.
6. Scrape dough into an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
7. Let dough rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours. (Dough will be sticky and full of air bubbles.)
They grow up so fast!
8. Turn dough out onto a well-floured work surface and cut in half.
9. Transfer each half to a greased baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal and form into an irregular oval about 9 inches long. Dimple loaves with floured fingers and dust tops with wholewheat flour.
10. Cover loaves with a dampened kitchen towel. Let loaves rise at room temperature until almost doubled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
11. At least 45 minutes before baking ciabatta, put a baking stone on oven rack in lowest position in oven and preheat oven to 425 F (220 degrees C).
12. Bake ciabatta loaves 15-20 minutes, or until pale golden.
13. Cool loaves on a wire rack.
Makes 2 loaves
~ Recipe #2 ~ Via newgourmetrecipes.com
Ciabatta bread is often used to make pannini sandwiches. It is also great with soups and stews. Ciabatta is a rustic compact bread and holds up well to sauces.
Ingredients
- 12oz / 350g plain flour
- 1/4 teaspoon easy blend yeast
- 7fl oz/200ml warm water
- olive oil
- 1/2 pint /300ml warm water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 5 tablespoons warm milk
- 1 1/4 lb / 500g plain flour
- 1 teaspoon easy blend yeast
- 1 tablespoon salt
cornmeal to dust
Directions
1 • Add yeast to sifted flour and slowly mix in the water. Beat for five minutes. Place in a bowl and brush with olive oil. Cover and leave to rise in a warm place until tripled in size (5-24 hours). Now chill.
2 • Stir the warm water, milk and olive oil into the chilled mixture. Slowly add this mixture to the 1 1/4 lb of flour, adding the yeast and salt.
3 • Using either a food processor or those at the end of your wrists, form into a dough and then knead on a floured surface until springy. Put dough in an oiled bowl, cover and leave to rise until doubled in size.
4 • Divide into four and stretch dough into rectangles, pressing flat with your knuckles. Cover with a damp cloth and leave in a warm place for 2 hours. Pre-heat oven to 220°C, gas mark 7. Heat baking sheets in oven. Dust baking sheets with cornmeal and place dough on top.
5 • Bake 25 minutes, sprinkling with water three times during the first 10 minutes.