Monday, August 15, 2011

Ciabatta Bread

Lately, we have been striking out when it comes to buying bread. Last time my husband went to Panera to get bread, they were out. Not sure how a business seemingly based on bread runs out of bread hours before they close, but they did.

I have been talking about trying to make Ciabatta at home for some time. I did a quick search of the internet looking for recipes to try. Many of them involved a sponge, which, since I thought I was eating it for dinner on Sunday would not work, since it was already after noon.

I found a recipe here and read through all of the feedback, which resulted in a few tweaks to the recipe. There are a few more that I might try next time, like adding a little rosemary to the batch.

Ciabatta Bread
1 1/2 cups water
1 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp white sugar
3 1/4 c bread flour
1/4 c all-purpose flour
2 1/4 tsp yeast

Layer ingredients in pan of bread machine. Select dough cycle and start.

Remove dough from bread machine pan, it will be a little sticky, onto lightly floured surface. Cover and allow to rest for 15 minutes.

Divide dough into two pieces and shape into two ovals on a floured baking sheet. Dimple the surface and sprinkle with flour. Cover and allow to rise for 45 minutes. Dimple again.
Bake at 425 for 25 - 30 minutes. After 10 minutes, spritz dough with water for a crispier crust.
I was very pleased with the result of the bread. It wasn't as sour as a standard ciabatta, but still had the right amount of air pockets and a good crispy crust and chewy center. It was so yummy, enjoyed warm - we ate about half a loaf this way. The rest was enjoyed at dinner the next night, where we served it with olive oil and seasoning dip.

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