My first EVER blog… but its tasty... Homemade Ciabatta

Hello there world and Steemit community!

My name is Siobhán, I'm Irish and I am very fond of food.

That is to say I like to look at, eat, smell, make, cook, prepare... etc food.

I have only self taught skills and knowledge which mostly I force upon friends and family. My fiancé however doesn't seem to mind the never ending flow of production that finds its way to him.
I'm a bit of a 'pinch of this' and 'a little of that' measurer but I will try and hone my measuring skills if it turns out people are keen to know what I'm at with food.
I have a tendency to look at a few different recipes for things and pick the bits I like and substitute as I go.

However I think for this I may start with a recipe I have followed from Paul Hollywood on making ciabatta. See full recipe details in the link below:
http://paulhollywood.com/recipes/ciabatta/

As I happen to have some step by step pictures which is always fun to see. Also this was my first attempt at Ciabatta so it's all a bit messy and lacking in any great artistic flare.

Ingredients

500g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
10g salt
10g instant yeast
40ml olive oil
400 ml tepid water
Fine semolina for dusting (optional)

Oil a 2/3 litre square plastic container. (suggested that it’s important to use a square tub as it helps shape the dough, I used a metal rectangle).

Pop the flour, salt and yeast into the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook, keep the yeast and salt seperate initially. Add the olive oil and three-quarters of the water and begin mixing on a slow speed. As the dough starts to come together, slowly add the remaining water and then a further 5-8 minutes on a higher speed until the dough is smooth and stretchy.

Tip the dough out into your container, cover with a tea towel and leave until at least doubled, (I went for a walk through a forest) approx 1-2 hours or longer.

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Heat your oven to 220°C and pop some baking parchment on trays

Dust your work surface heavily with flour – add some semolina too, if available. Gently tip out the dough (it will be very wet) onto the work surface, trying to hold its shape. Handle it gently so you can keep as much air in the dough as possible. Coat the top of the dough with more flour and/or semolina. Cut the dough in half lengthways and divide each half lengthways into 2 strips. You should now have 4 pieces of dough. Stretch each piece of dough lengthways a little and place on prepared baking trays.

Leave the ciabatta dough to rest for a further 10 minutes, then bake for 25 minutes, or until the loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the base. Cool on a wire rack.

Resulting bread: