How To Make Ciabatta Bread

Boasting of distinctive taste and a thick chewy crust, Ciabatta bread is one of the delicious options when it comes to Italian breads. A popular item in Italy, the bread is easy to prepare and tasty to eat. Slightly sour in taste, it goes very well with pasta and salads. Though it is usually prepared using a single method, the use of flour may vary - you can either choose to have bread flour or wheat flour. Making the bread, though an easy process; requires you to prepare the starter a day in advance. This ensures that you get a yummy delight for the next day. Go through the recipe given below and know how to make Ciabatta bread.

How To Make Ciabatta Bread

Ingredients

1/8 tsp Active Dry Yeast
2 tbsp Warm Water (110 deg F/45 deg C)
1/3 cup Warm Water
1 cup Bread Flour
1/2 tsp Active Dry Yeast
2 tbsp Warm Milk (110 deg F/45 deg C)
2/3 cup Warm Water
1 tbsp Olive Oil
2 cups Bread Flour
1 1/2 tsp Salt

Directions

Preparing Sponge

Firstly, put 1/8 tsp yeast and warm water in a small bowl and stir them well, until a creamy texture is formed.
The next step would be to transfer the yeast mixture into a bowl, along with 1/3 cup water and 1 cup bread flour. Blend the mixture well, for about 4 minutes and then wrap it with a plastic cover. Let it stand at room temperature for at least 12 hours and at most 1 day.

Preparing Bread

To make the bread, you first need to blend together 1/2 tsp yeast and 2 tbsp warm milk. Stir it well, until the texture becomes creamy.
In an electric mixer jar, fitted with a dough hook, blend the milk mixture, along with sponge, 2/3 cup water, oil, and flour. Keep the speed low and blend until the flour is just moistened.
Add salt and blend again, for about 8 minutes or until the texture is smooth and elastic. Once this is done, scrape the dough into an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
Keep the dough at room temperature for about 1 1/2 hours. The dough would then become sticky and get full of air bubbles. Sprinkle flour on the work surface and turn out the dough on it.
Once turned, divide into half and transfer each half to a parchment sheet. Shape them into irregular oval loaves, about 9 inches long. Make some pits on the loaves, by inserting floured fingers, and dust the top with flour.
Use a dampened towel to cover the loaves. Let them rise at room temperature until almost doubled in bulk, around 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Preheat the oven for about 45 minutes, at 425 F. However, before preheating the oven, make sure that you insert a baking stone on oven rack in lowest position.
Transfer 1 loaf on its parchment to a rimless baking sheet, with the long side being 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 the front half of stone in a similar manner.
Bake Ciabatta loaves for about 20 minutes, until they turn pale golden. Cool them on a wire rack.

How to Cite

Related Articles

See also

More in 'Art & Entertainment'