Revised 18 October 2026; first published 2023-10-21. Original byline and URL retained.
Ciabatta formulas vary, but the technical demands are consistent: a wet dough must develop enough strength to retain gas while remaining extensible through division and shaping.
Technique works as a system
Ciabatta formulas vary. Water relative to flour is one useful baker’s percentage, but hydration alone does not create an open crumb. Flour properties, mixing, fermentation, dough temperature, folds, dividing, shaping, proof, and baking all affect the result.
Folding is one way to develop and organize dough during bulk fermentation. Rest gives the dough time to relax between handling. Gentle dividing and shaping can preserve some of the gas already produced. None of these steps guarantees a particular hole pattern; the baker reads the dough and adjusts to the flour, room, and process.
The legacy ciabatta recipe and method records John Deacon’s published poolish formula, ingredient weights, fold intervals, and bake notes. It keeps those source details visible so readers can compare the written method with what their own dough and oven do.