I read somewhere that ciabatta bread is traditionally made completely by hand. Is this possible with your recipe? Thanks.

Vicki, the high rate of hydration, known as a very "slack" dough, is what creates that dramatically open, irregular crumb full of those gorgeous holes.

Step 2 describes using a mixer. Ciabatta is such a wet dough, that I would suspect that mixing it by hand would present quite a challenge. I mix mine not only with a mixer, but with the paddle because it has such a high rate of hydration: https://thesolitarycook.wordpress.com/2012/02/11/ciabatta/
https://thesolitarycook.wordpress.com/2012/02/12/ciabatta-the-bread/
https://thesolitarycook.wordpress.com/2013/11/15/man-in-the-moon-french-toast/

This looks like a grest recipe. While skimming it, I noticed the comments section has directions on mixing by hand.