Homemade Goodness - From our very own brilliant baker, Gee.

Recipe: Ciabatta Loaf, bread recipe

Oh, is there anything that beats the sheer bliss of tucking into a slice of warm bread fresh out of the oven, with a good dollop of salted butter melting into it? It's the kind of treat that makes all your troubles melt away, right up there with the best of life's guilty pleasures.

Now, let's have a chinwag about Gee. This legend in the baking game has been turning heads and tantalizing tastebuds with her bread-making wizardry, earning herself a bit of a cult following. Folks from her past gigs are practically tripping over themselves, trying to barter for a peek at her treasure trove of bread recipes.

Lucky for us bread lovers, Gee's not one to keep her culinary gems under lock and key. She's spilling the beans on how to whip up the perfect Ciabatta. So, roll up your sleeves and get ready to dive into the world of bread-making magic, courtesy of Gee's generous spirit. Who's ready to bake their way to glory?

Ingredients: 

400g strong white flour 

7g Yeast 

30ml Olive oil 

7g Salt

Semolina flour for flouring 

Method:

Combine half the flour and 4g of yeast with 150ml of warm water in a bowl. Bring together into a dough. 

Oil a clean work surface and kneed for 5 minutes. 

Place dough until a clean oiled bowl and cover with cling film, leave to rise until it has doubled in size. 

Tip the mixture into a food mixer and add the remaining flour, oil, yeast and 75ml of warm water and mix using the dough hook. 

Dissolve the salt in 75ml of warm water and add slowly to the mixture. 

Mix for 6 minutes. 

Oil a large square plastic container, tip in the dough and put the lid on. 

Leave the dough to prove at room temperature until it has doubled in size. 

Dust a clean work surface with flour and semolina. 

Gently tip the dough out onto the surface and cover with more of the flours. Try to keep the square shape and not knock out any air. 

Cut the dough in two and stretch both pieces lengthways into classic ciabatta shapes. 

Preheat the oven to 220 degrees.

Sprinkle the flours over a baking tray. 

Carefully place the dough onto the baking tray and allow to prove for 30 minutes. 

Bake for 30mins or until golden brown and makes a hollow sound when the base is tapped. 

Tadaaaaa... Enjoy!