Ciabatta Bread
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What is Ciabatta Bread?
Ciabatta Bread is a European style bread that first originated in a small town near Venice in 1982 by baker Arnaldo Cavallari.
It is an authentic Italian white bread with a crunchy crust and chewy texture with holes that range from tiny to huge. There’s really nothing fancy about the ingredients. I use King Arthur’s Unbleached Bread Flour, olive oil, salt, water, Red Star Active Dry Yeast and milk.
Is Ciabatta Bread Easy To Make?
Yes, it is extremely easy to make and I have had success each time making it. The recipe does call for a “starter” meaning sourdough starter. If you don’t have a starter no worries as the recipe is included. That’s right, no need to have a starter on hand! The starter needs to be prepared at least 6-8 hours prior.
It is recommended to plan ahead when making this bread and make the starter at least 6-8 hours prior.
What makes Ciabatta different?
Ciabatta bread is a gluten bread and is very similar to the French Baguette. It has its own uniqueness though. It’s appearance is somewhat wide and flat. It does not have the usual rise as regular breads.
This dough has high hydration and will be very sticky to touch. Don’t panic as this is normal. Working with sticky dough can be challenging at times. That is why I prefer to use this standing mixer because the only time I have to touch the dough is when removing it from the mixing bowl. A helpful tip: use cold water when washing hands or for cleaning up.
To flavor bread kick it up a notch and try adding some herbs while kneading the dough or place on top of the dough. This bread can also be served with a dipping sauce like olive oil with garlic and/or balsamic vinegar. The best thing about it is you can make it any flavor, whatever your preference.
I AM EXCITED YOU ARE VIEWING JETT’S RECIPE FOR CIABATTA BREAD AND WOULD LOVE TO HEAR HOW YOURS TURNS OUT SHOULD YOU DECIDE TO MAKE IT!
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Ciabatta Bread
The best recipe for homemade Italian Ciabatta Bread. It’s extremely easy to make. It’s made with King Arthur Unbleached Flour, olive oil, salt, water, Red Star Active Dry Yeast and milk.
Ingredients
Sourdough Starter Ingredients
- 1 cup King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
- 1/3 cup water (room temperature)
- 1/8 teaspoon Red Star Active Dry Yeast
- 2 Tablespoons warm water
Bread Ingredients
- 2 cups King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
- 1/2 teaspoon Red Star Active Dry Yeast
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 10 Tablespoons water
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons warm milk
Instructions
For the Starter
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Make the starter the night before you plan to bake the bread (at least 6-8 hours before making the bread).
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Mix yeast and warm water in a cup. Allow to stand for a few minutes.
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In a medium bowl add flour, water and yeast mixture. Stir until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and allow it to sit at room temperature on counter overnight.
For the Bread
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In the standing mixture add yeast and warm milk. Allow to stand a few minutes.
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Add flour, salt, olive oil, water and the starter. Mix together for about 10 minutes.
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Lightly grease a large bowl. Transfer dough to the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a draft free area and allow it to sit until doubled in size (about 2 hours).
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Turn the bread dough out on a lightly floured surface. Divide in half to make two loaves.
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Place each loaf on a piece of parchment paper.
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Lightly dampen a dish towel or flour sack and cover dough. Place in a draft free area and allow to rise again (about 2 hours)
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We recommend using a pizza stone when baking this bread. Place stone in oven and Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Transfer dough to pizza stone and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. To get a crispy crust use a spritzer bottle and spritz dough with water or place a pan of water under the pizza stones while baking.
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When bread is done turn oven off. Prop oven door open for heat to escape and allow bread to cool in oven. Or you can transfer breads to a wire rack to cool. Allow bread to cool completely prior to cutting.
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ENJOY!
2 Comments
Renate Beedon
Hi, Jett. I would like to make the ciabatta but don’t have a pizza stone. What else can I use?
Thank you.
Jett
Hi Renate: No pizza stone? No worries! You can use a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Hope this helps.