Grandma’s Ciabatta Whey Bread

• portions: 9x4" loaf
• temps actif: 20 minutes
• temps total: 9 hours

Ingrédients

240g (1 cups) whey

300g bread flour

1.5g (½ tsp) dry active yeast

18g (1½ Tbsp) sugar

4g (¾ tsp) salt

14g (1 Tbsp) melted unsalted butter

Instructions

In a small saucepan (or microwave), melt butter and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients together and then knead the dough for about 5 minutes.

Cover with plastic wrap and allow the dough to proof at room temperature (it will rise a lot):

• @20°C, 8 hours “or overnight”

• @26-28°C, 6 hours

• @29-30°C, 5 hours

Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F)

After dough has risen, sprinkle flour on a work surface and shape the dough.

Place the dough onto a greased baking tray or loaf pan, depending on the shape you want. Brush top with butter, and score some shallow diagonal slashes into the top of the bread.

Bake the bread for 40 minutes or until it is golden brown.

Notes

2023-06-04: DO NOT RETARD DOUGH, because reduces its rise due to acidity; first proof 5h @29-30°C; grease pan using butter.

2023-05-24: brushed pan and top of bread with butter

2021-07-26: used 50/50 all-purpose/bread flour, should use 100% bread flour; overproofed 9-10h @28°C, limit to 7-8h; proofed vertically A LOT

• Perfect for making garlic bread slices.

• Do not retard dough: whey activity drops, and reduces the bread’s rise.

• Grease the pan with butter

• Whey really activates the dough, so get ready: yeast love the presence of the lactose and sugar in the whey and that is why is rises so well.