Hi Kitchenelf,
Although you can bake the pizza directly on the stone, I tried to keep it as simple as possible, not knowing your level of experience. Placing it directly on the stone requires a peel, cornmeal and a quick wrist. Personally I have never made one directly on the stone. Three reasons: 1) It requires using cornmeal to facilitate moving the pizza around and I do not like cornmeal on my crust.
2) using cornmeal makes a mess in the oven and being a guy, well, lets just say I don't want to clean the oven each time I make a pizza (or any other time for that matter!!). 3) I make my pizzas rectangular and larger than my largest peel, so turning them on a sheet is easier. 4) I get great results doing it the way I've been doing it.
I did forget to mention one important thing in the recipe and that is the fact that the last three minutes of baking, I remove the pizza from the baking sheet and place it directly on the stone to crisp the crust. You can make the pizza on parchment paper and place it on a stone, so I am told.
I am just now beginning to discover the world of parchment paper.
Ciabatta is actually a simple bread to make, but it does require skills that take time to develop. Let's start with another simple bread that is more forgiving, one that I recommend new bakers start with. In fact this was the very first bread I made and the one that got me hooked. It is known as a Cuban bread, although no-one seems to know why. It is similar to a French bread, but does not require the shaping skills. It is also better for making sandwiches for the kids with.
Ingredients:
5-6 cups of All-purpose or bread flour
2 1/4 tsp yeast
1/2 tsp, plus 1/3 cup sugar (divided)
2 cups hot water (104-106F)
2 1/2 tsp salt
1. Sprinkle yeast on hot water and add 1/2 tsp sugar and stir gently to dissolve. Allow to stand for five minutes. A foam will appear on top of water. This is known as the bloom and lets you know the yeast is active and alive.
2. Place three cups of flour in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer and add yeast mixture. Mix with paddle attachment for two minutes on low speed, stopping halfway through to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Allow to sit covered with plastic wrap for thirty minutes to two hours. Although this resting time is not necessary, it will allow the dough to develop a better depth of flavor and texture, as the flour has more time to hydrate.
3. Add in additional sugar and the salt and mix to combine. Switch to dough hook and begin working in the remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time until a ball of dough forms around the hook and the dough is no longer sticking to the sides of the bowl. Now here is your first and most important lesson: the more flour you add, the denser your finished product will be. It will mean the difference between a light airy loaf filled with air holes the size of rice grains,…or a doorstop that even the ducks at the pond won't eat. The dough must be stiff enough to hold together into a workable dough, but not too stiff. In baking circles, we say "The wetter the better". Obviously this is something that is best demonstrated in person, however in lieu of an apprenticeship with me, you'll just have to just experiment. Be happy you have family to eat the trials..
4. Knead the dough with a dough hook for eight minutes, adding additional flour if necessary to maintain ball of dough. Kneading can also be done by hand instead.
5. Place the finished dough in an oiled bowl large enough to allow it to rise to at least double its volume and cover with plastic wrap and let rest in a warm place (80-90 F) until doubled in volume, approx. 1 hour, depending upon temp., yeast type, humidity, etc.
6. Important lesson number two: Most recipes will say to punch down the dough to remove all the air bubbles. WRONG. Push down in the center of the dough with your fist once to deflate. Then gently reach under the dough, and lift one side of it up and stretch it over the center of the dough. Now do the same with the opposite side, then the left and right sides. Repeat this procedure once again. Doing it this way is similar to the concept of folding in egg whites in a cake batter. It will help to maintain the air bubble structure and lightness of the loaf.
7. Place loaf on a lightly floured counter top and divide into two pieces. Important lesson number three: Pick up one of the pieces with both hands and begin gently but firmly tucking the sides under the loaf while forming it into a flat bottomed , dome shaped loaf. The purpose of this is to create a surface tension which will hold the loaf together when baking. If it is not done properly, the dough will tend to flatten out during baking. Don't get frustrated with the beginning loaves. This is another one of those talents you must practice to learn. You can always just get a loaf pan, but if you want to learn to make artisan loaves, this technique must be learned.
8. Place on nonstick baking sheet and slash an X pattern on the top of each loaf. Brush lightly with what is known as a wash. Lesson four: A "wash" is a liquid that will give color or shine or flavor to the finished loaf. Washes can include: olive oil, water, egg white, egg yolk, milk, etc.
9. Place baking sheet in the middle of a COLD oven. Place a pan of hot water on the shelf below and heat the oven to 400F. As the oven temp rises, the dough will continue to rise . The water will help to set the crust. Bake for 40-50 minutes. Internal temp of the finished loaf will be 200F.
10. When fully baked, place loaf directly on a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before slicing, about two hours.
Note: Do your best to allow the bread to cool completely before eating. I know its difficult but it will be worth it. Everyone thinks they want hot out of the oven bread, but if you give the dough the time to cool and set up properly, it takes on a whole new, more delicious flavor.
Let me know how you make out.