Ciabatta with Kamut

Compared with Kamut Levain and Kamut Bread, I like this one the most.

It is in fact Jeffrey Hamelman’s Poolish Ciabatta, but I replaced 30% total flour by kamut (adding to final dough, all poolish was regular flour). I also increased the hydration from 73% to 83%, as water absorption of kamut is higher.

However, apparently 83% hydration was too high and the dough was very slack. Hence instead of folding the dough 2 times (1 time every hour according to original recipe) in the 3-hr bulk fermentation, I folded the dough 4 times in total (1 time every half hour).

Luckily though the dough was wet and kamut’s gluten is low, the crumb is satisfying. It is less chewy than a regular ciabatta, but is pleasantly moist. One thing is the crust is not crispy after cooled down, and I will try to bake the dough longer next time (20mins at 460F this time for 420g dough).

About the taste, it is wonderful. This ciabatta has a stronger wheat flavor than regular ones, at the same time with a mild but unique kamut flavor. I love it! Have had a fun time playing with Kamut flour this time.

Recipe based on: “Bread” by Jeffrey Hamelman