John the Baker · South Africa
The world’s best
ciabatta.
We publish the formula and the method behind that claim: a yeast poolish, 70% hydration, and exacting attention to fermentation, dough strength, handling, and bake.
A specialist practice
Ciabatta rewards
technical judgement.
Flour absorption sets how much water a dough can carry; fermentation develops gas and flavour; strength and handling determine how much structure survives division and shaping. These variables interact. The clock provides a schedule, but the dough provides the evidence.
Ciabatta.co.za brings John the Baker’s published formula, practical method, bread science, and 47-article journal into one specialist resource. The aim is to make the decisions behind the loaf explicit and teachable.
About John the BakerStudy the work
Formula, process, evidence.
Understand the dough
Flour absorption, hydration, preferment maturity, strength, fermentation, proof, and heat as connected variables.
Explore 02Follow the formula
The published yeast-poolish method, ingredient weights, 70% hydration calculation, and oven notes.
Explore 03Examine the evidence
What is known about wheat, gluten, fructans, and fermentation—and what specific studies do not establish.
Explore
Structure and method
An open crumb
is an outcome.
Its irregular structure depends on the interaction of flour, water, mixing, preferment maturity, dough temperature, fermentation, division, proof, and oven conditions. The recipe gives quantities; the craft is learning which variable needs attention in the dough in front of you.
Study the processThe archive
47 articles.
A record of the work.
The journal preserves its original bylines and publication dates. Revised editions are dated and identified; practical articles, essays, and historical records remain available at their established URLs.
Explore the journal