Good morning, bakers. Today’s Ciabatta Bake is happening, and I just posted the recipe above. If you’re baking along and run into questions, weird dough behavior, timing issues, or just want a second set of eyes, leave it right here in this thread. Recipe: https://pantry.bakinggreatbread.com/recipes/quick-ciabatta?utm_source=skool&utm_medium=community&utm_campaign=recipe-share This will be our working chat for the day so everyone can see the questions and the fixes in real time. I’ll be checking in all day. If it makes sense later, I may pop open a short live, but for now this is home base. Let’s bake.

Simple challenge for everyone this week: Bake ANY bread - doesn't matter which one - and post a photo of the crumb (that's the inside when you slice it open). 📌 Post it in "Show Off Your Bakes" with: • One photo of the crumb • What bread you made • One thing you're proud of OR one thing you'd change next time That's it. No pressure. No perfection required. **Why crumb shots matter:** The crumb tells the story. It shows hydration, fermentation, gluten development, and shaping. We learn more from looking at crumbs than crusts. **Everyone who posts earns:** ✅ Points toward your next level ✅ Feedback from the community ✅ A chance to be featured in this week's 💎 Baking Gems Let's see what you're working with. Post by Sunday night. ~Henry

I want to tell you about my book, Sourdough for the Rest of Us. I'm not trying to sell you anything. I gave this book away free for a year. Amazon just won't let me price it lower than about $6.08 It started as an answer to a question in this group. That answer became a blog post. The blog post became a newsletter. The newsletter became a handbook. And then it became this book. It's everything I wish I knew when I started. Not because I'm a baking genius. I've just messed up enough loaves to know where to step and where not to. Bread isn't mystical. I'm not a guru. It's been around for thousands of years and it belongs to all of us. I just wrote it down. If you don't have a copy, here's the link. Read it. It'll help. 📚 https://a.co/d/cYaNTlK

Quick check-in. Where are you at for tomorrow's bake? Drop a comment if you have questions before tomorrow. I'll be here all day to walk you through it.

Tomorrow's the day. If you're joining the ciabatta bake, here's what you need to know: Start whenever you're ready. I'll be here all day to walk you through it, answer questions, and help troubleshoot. No set start time. Just jump in when your morning allows. Before tomorrow: - Read through the recipe so there are no surprises - If you're using Krusty, click "Bake with Me" and hit the microphone. Have a conversation with him. Ask questions. Let him help you prep. Here is the recipe: https://pantry.bakinggreatbread.com/recipes/quick-ciabatta?utm_source=skool&utm_medium=community&utm_campaign=recipe-share About that special equipment... Tomorrow's bake calls for a couche, and most home bakers don't have one. Don't panic. A pillowcase works great. So does a heavy linen towel. What you need is something sturdy that you can shake flour off easily. When I teach this bread, I use a pillowcase myself. Here's why it matters: normally when I say "lightly floured surface," I'm being cautious because extra flour throws off your recipe. With ciabatta, that rule doesn't apply. All that flour stays on the outside of the bread, and you absolutely need it. Flour liberally. Don't be shy. You'll also need two bench scrapers (or dough scrapers). You're going to use them to lift and move the dough. The less you handle ciabatta with your hands, the better. Those bubbles you worked so hard to develop during fermentation? You want to keep them. I'll post a quick video showing how to set up and use your couche (or pillowcase) so you're ready. See you tomorrow. Let's bake. Saint Germain Bakery Premium Professional Bakers Extra Large Couche 35"x26" from France - Heavy Duty Proofing Cloth 100% Natural Flax Linen: https://amzn.to/4pLpBvE