Asiago Herb Ciabatta

 This is not an authentic Italian ciabatta recipe full of steps.  I've been wanting to make ciabatta for quite a while, but all the steps were a little intimidating.  I don't do well with breads that call for starters or sponges, because something usually happens to distract me.  This is the method from Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a day, with a few modifications on my part.  I've come to realize that since I am not a chef, I don't have to follow all the "rules" about food, so I did a shortcut ciabatta.  I'm also pretty sure that no one in my family cared that this wasn't an authentic ciabatta loaf.   They just knew it was yummy bread! It had a nice sourdough taste because I left the dough in the fridge for a week.  I want to try it without the asiago and herbs sometime and make a brie, turkey and apple panini with it.  I think my days of spending $4 on a loaf of ciabatta are behind me!
 The dough for this is pretty sticky and wet.  I was afraid that if I shaped it and put it on a baking sheet, it would turn into one large blob of dough.  I have a 10-inch bread pan that I never get to use, so I decided to use it in this recipe.  It worked great and I will use it again.  My 9-inch pan would have been fine, it just would have given me a taller loaf.  This recipe makes enough for 2 loaves.  I made ciabatta with half of the dough and 6 rolls with the other half.

Asiago Herb Ciabatta
Adapted from Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day
makes 2 10-inch loaves

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
2 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
3 1/4 cups unsifted, unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 - 1/2 cup diced asiago cheese
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1) Mix all ingredients in a large bowl or dough bucket.  Mix until well-blended. Allow to rise covered for 2 hours.
2) Place in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or up to 2 weeks.
3) Cut off one pound of the dough.  With wet hands, shape the dough into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all 4 sides.  Flatten into an elongated oval, no thinner than 3/4 inches.  Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or baking mat. Optional: Place in a well-greased 9 or 10 inch loaf pan.
4) Let it rise, uncovered for 20 minutes.
4) Bake at 450 for 20 minutes, or until deeply browned.