There's often some confusion around the differences between ciabatta and focaccia bread. While they have similar-sounding names and are both Italian style bread, they are very different. The most significant difference between the two is that ciabatta is a bread shaped into loaves, whereas focaccia is a flatbread. Ciabatta bread also features a much chewier texture because it does not contain any fat. Focaccia usually has oil (olive oil) in its dough and features a much softer feel.
We talked about the importance of a pre-ferment or "sponge" when creating ciabatta bread, and this step is necessary to create the ideal texture. When preparing your ciabatta bread sponge, we recommend making your bread starter the night before in the same bowl that you will begin to make your bread. To ensure your sponge is ready, first, check that it has the consistency of pancake batter.
Now, we've talked about the wetness of ciabatta dough. While wet mixtures can make it harder to shape bread, it also changes how the bread needs to be kneaded. Instead of kneading ciabatta bread the way yeast dough is kneaded, ciabatta bread must be allowed to slowly ferment through a series of stretching and foldingmuch like when you make baguettes. This stretch and fold method allows the different layers of gluten to build the dough structure and redistribute the heat, creating the ideal environment for the yeast to grow correctly.
A typical ciabatta dough will ferment for about three hours and need to be briefly stretched and folded between each fermentation. To extend and fold the mixture with ease, make sure that your fingers are damp and that the dough is folded back down onto itself. Continue stretching and folding the dough until all four sides are complete.
