Rustic Ciabatta Bread Recipes

CIABATTA

Steps:

• To Make Sponge: In a small bowl stir together 1/8 teaspoon of the yeast and the warm water and let stand 5 minutes, or until creamy. In a bowl stir together yeast mixture, 1/3 cup of the water, and 1 cup of the bread flour. Stir 4 minutes, then cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let sponge stand at cool room temperature for at least 12 hours and up to 1 day.
• To 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; add salt and mix until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. 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.) 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 on oven rack in lowest position in oven and preheat oven to 425 F (220 degrees C).
• Transfer 1 loaf on its parchment to a rimless 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 in a similar manner. Bake ciabatta loaves 20 minutes, or until pale golden. Cool loaves on a wire rack.

BREAD MACHINE / ABM RUSTIC STYLE CIABATTA

Steps:

• In the bread machine's basin, proof the yeast by pouring in the warm water and dissolving the pinch of sugar in it then sprinkling the yeast on top-- if you don't have a 1/8 teaspoon size or a sliding measuring spoon, just leave few millimeters of leeway in a 1/2 tsp size spoon.
• Let the yeast proof for 10 minutes with the bread machine's lid open.
• Add the flours and salt and blend well by hand or slowly with a dough hook until the flour has completely absorbed the water.
• If you want add rosemary or other herbs, add them now too and blend.
• Pour on the olive oil around the bin but don't blend it in by hand.
• Close the bread machine and set it for a 2-lb loaf (1.5 should work if that's all your machine goes up to) at the DOUGH CYCLE. Kick back and let it do its work!
• When the dough cycle ends, leave it in the machine, covered, for 20-30 minutes to rise. After the rise is complete, preheat the oven to 425°F.
• Grease an 11 x 7 pan with the 1/2 tsp olive oil-- NOT a loaf pan. This bread is best coming out relatively flat! The olive oil is a must for this, cooking spray won't make it come out the same! Brush the olive oil all over the inside of the pan, then sprinkle the cornmeal all over the bottom of the pan.
• Extract the dough from the bread machine, it should have a wonderful thick and elasticy consistency. Lay it into the prepped loaf pan and smooth out the top when done.
• Bake at 425F for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown on top.
• For that rustic look and crackly feel, brush a little olive oil onto the top and dust with some flour prior to baking.
• For Roman style ciabatta, season with marjoram and you can also make it ciabatta al latte by softening the dough with milk.

RUSTIC RIB-EYE ON CIABATTA

Steps:

• Coat steaks with 1 tablespoon butter each; season with salt and pepper. Place each steak in a vaccum-seal bag. Seal the bags and place in a water bath with a sous vide cooker inserted. Set temperature to 130 degrees F (54 degrees C); cook until firm and reddish-pink and juicy in the center, about 1 hour.
• Combine 1 tablespoon butter, garlic oil, and brown sugar in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until butter is melted, about 1 minute. Place onion into the pan in a single layer; cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add vinegar; cover and reduce heat to low. Cook, adding a splash of water if needed, until onions are golden brown, about 20 minutes.
• Combine pesto sauce, mayonnaise, and lime juice in a bowl. Stir until well combined. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Stir melted butter, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt together in a bowl. Brush mixture over both halves of the bread. Place bread on a baking sheet; add Muenster cheese to 1 piece.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
• Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Remove 1 steak from the bag and cook on the grill pan until nicely browned, about 1 minute per side. Repeat with the remaining steaks. Let rest until set, about 5 minutes. Slice thinly against the grain.
• Spread pesto mixture over the bread; add the steak and browned onions. Cut sandwich into 6 pieces.

CIABATTA A OLD ITALIAN BREAD

Steps:

• 1. To Make Sponge: In a small bowl stir together 1/8 teaspoon of the yeast and the warm water and let stand 5 minutes, or until creamy. In a bowl stir together yeast mixture, 1/3 cup of the water, and 1cup of the bread flour. Stir 4 minutes, then over bowl with plastic wrap. Let sponge stand at cool room temperature for at least 12 hours and up to 1 day.
• 2. To 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; add salt and mix until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Scrape dough into an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
• 3. Let dough rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours. (Dough will be sticky and full of air bubbles.) 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.
• 4. At least 45 minutes before baking ciabatta, put a baking stone on oven rack in lowest position in oven and preheat oven to 425*F. (220*C).
• 5. Transfer 1 loaf on its parchment to a rimless 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 in a similar manner. Bake ciabatta loaves 20 minutes, or until pale golden. Cool loaves on a wire rack.
• My Note: * The second time I made the sponge I left it right next to a warm stove top and it rose very quickly and made these HUGE air pockets in my finished product. I only left this for 4 hours but the taste and texture were FANTASTIC and the sponge almost spilled over the rim of the bowl! It was a bit difficult to get out of the bowl because of its stickiness but that was to be expected. For those that thought the sponge needed water, it doesn't. It will look just like a clump of dough in the beginning but if you leave it you'll be pleasantly surprised with a bubbling, frothy, sticky sponge. Secondly, I made this recipe cautiously because I expected it to be very difficult to handle, but it was not.
• I prepared the sponge two days in advance and kept it in the fridge. I had no problems with it being too sticky. I cooked it on a pizza stone and basted with water every 5 minutes for a brown, crunchy crust. The parchment did burn a little around the edges while baking, but it was reminiscent of an old Italian bakery.
• The easiest 'real sourdough' recipe; those without 'aging' of dough lack the genuine ciabatta taste, even though they may get the consistancy right. This one gets even better with more than one days aging of the 'sponge'.
• I have fallen in love with making bread these past few months, and this is the best recipe I have have did, by far. I have made at least 12 loaves with this, and every time I make it, my friends devour it instantly. I have modified it a little, though. I found the original recipe to be too dry for my tastes when it came out of the over, so I tripled the olive oil, and it came out moist and delicious. Add more oil to the recipe and you're in great shape. I love this bread! It was a little involved as far as prep time but it was easy, GOOD, and tasted just like what we had eaten in Florence! I will make it again. For 15 people I made 6 loaves with enough left over for dinner the next night.