Ciabatta Bread after the 5th Try, it WAS the yeast.......

This is the third weekend I have tried to make bread. Mainly Ciabatta bread. I love the Ciabatta bread from Wegman's and really tried to learn to make my own. The last two weekends I was sooooo discouraged because my dough would not rise I tried everything, I heated the water, the milk, I added sugar, or honey I even added beer! Tried to keep it warm in the oven. Nothing. Flat flat flat. I googled yeast, bread and then I googled Why won't my bread rise???? Thank God I came upon a site that said....Its ALWAYS the yeast. The article was very good and talked about how discouraging it could be for new bread bakers if they get bad yeast. That was me. So I got different yeast, actually it is organic because there was no yeast to be found in the baking section so I tried the "Natural Health Food" section of Wegman's of which I spend lots and lots of time in. I could and am buying everything in that section. Last time I got organic natural house cleaning solutions, this time I got the natural and organic shampoo and conditioner and body washes. I am trying to slowly eliminate chemicals in my home. For myself, as well as my animals. I don't want my dogs to walk on floors cleaned with chemicals. I never never never use round up or any of that stuff in the yard. Its not good at all for pets or kids or even yourself. I just heard something about aluminum in deodorant, so that will be next.
Any way the Ciabatta bread came out great!!!!! I can still smell it as I type. Now I can make the "slipper" every Friday night so I can make my bread on Saturday for the week. Now my next project, best pizza dough.
Oh by the way the friends that I gave pepper jelly to said their families LOVED it. I ended up giving more jars to them, especially when I got a voice message from my friend's little daughter telling me how she loved my pepper jelly, how could I resist that little voice.......

Ciabatta Bread
For sponge:

• 1/8 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons warm water (105°‐115° F.)
• 1/3 cup room-temperature water
• 1 cup bread flour*

For bread:

• 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons warm milk (105°‐115° F.)
• 2/3 cup room-temperature water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups bread flour*
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Make sponge:
In a small bowl stir together yeast and warm water and let stand 5 minutes, or until creamy. In a bowl stir together yeast mixture, room-temperature water, and flour and stir 4 minutes. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let sponge stand at cool room temperature at least 12 hours and up to 1 day.

Make bread:
In a small bowl stir together yeast and milk and let stand 5 minutes, or until creamy. In bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with dough hook blend together milk mixture, sponge, water, oil, and flour at low speed until flour is just moistened and beat dough at medium speed 3 minutes. Add salt and beat 4 minutes more. Scrape dough into an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let dough rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours. (Dough will be sticky and full of air bubbles.)

Have ready a rimless baking sheet and 2 well-floured 12- by 6-inch sheets parchment paper. Turn dough out onto a well-floured work surface and cut in half. Transfer each half to a parchment sheet and form into an irregular oval about 9 inches long. Dimple loaves with floured fingers and dust tops with flour. Cover loaves with a dampened kitchen towel. Let loaves rise at room temperature until almost doubled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

At least 45 minutes before baking ciabatta, put a baking stone or 4 to 6 unglazed "quarry" tiles (see note, above) arranged close together on oven rack in lowest position in oven and preheat oven to 425° F.

Transfer 1 loaf on its parchment to baking sheet with a long side of loaf parallel to far edge of baking sheet. Line up far edge of baking sheet with far edge of stone or tiles, and tilt baking sheet to slide loaf with parchment onto back half of stone or tiles. Transfer remaining loaf to front half of stone or tiles in a similar manner. Bake ciabatta loaves 20 minutes, or until pale golden. With a large spatula transfer loaves to a rack to cool.