Best Ciabatta Bread Recipes

CIABATTA (ITALIAN SLIPPER BREAD)

Steps:

• Make sponge: Stir together, warm water and yeast.
• Let stand 5 minutes, until creamy.
• Transfer yeast mixture to another bowl and add room-temp water and flour.
• Stir for 4 minutes.
• Cover bowl with plastic wrap.
• Let stand at cool room temp at least 12 hours and up to 1 day.
• Make bread: Stir together yeast and milk in small bowl and let stand 5 minutes, until creamy.
• In bowl of standing electric mixer, with dough hook, blend together milk mixture, sponge, water, oil and flour at low speed until flour is moistened.
• Beat on medium for 3 minutes.
• Add salt and beat for 4 more minutes.
• Scrape dough into oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap, until doubled- about 1 1/2 hours.
• Note: Dough will be VERY sticky and full of bubbles.
• Cut two pieces of parchment paper, approx 12 inches by 6 inches.
• Place on baking sheet and flour well.
• Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface and cut in half.
• Transfer each half to paper and form irregular ovals approx 9 inches long.
• Dip fingers in flour and dimple loaves.
• Dust tops with flour.
• Cover with dampened kitchen towel and let rise 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until almost doubled.
• At least 45 minutes before baking bread, pre-heat pizza stone on lowest oven rack position at 425°F.
• Transfer 1 loaf, along with parchment paper, onto stone and bake for 20 minutes or until pale golden.
• Remove to cooling racks and repeat with second loaf.

GARLIC CIABATTA BREAD (INA GARTEN BAREFOOT CONTESSA BACK TO BASI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Place the first five ingredients in a food processor and chop until finely minced. In a medium saute pan heat the olive oil over low heat and then add the garlic mixture. Cook on low for 3-5 minutes until garlic is tender - do not let the garlic brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Cut the bread in half, horizontally and spoon the oil-garlic mixture on the bottom half. Butter the top half of bread and then place the two halves together again. Wrap in tin foil and put on sheet pan.
• Bake at 350 for 5 minutes. Carefully remove the tin foil and discard and bake for an additional 5 minutes. slice crosswise and serve warm.

SOURDOUGH CIABATTA BREAD

Steps:

• Place water, milk, olive oil, sourdough starter, sugar, salt, flour, and vital wheat gluten in a bread machine in the order listed. Sprinkle yeast over flour. Start Dough cycle. Remove dough from the machine after the cycle is done, about 90 minutes.
• Turn dough out onto a well floured surface and let rest for 15 minutes.
• Flour hands and a bench knife well before handling the dough, but try not to add too much extra flour to the dough itself. Divide dough into 3 equal sections and form into round loaves. Place loaves on pieces of generously floured parchment paper and cover with large bowls, not touching the loaves themselves. Let rise in a warm place for about 60 minutes.
• Place a Dutch oven on the lowest rack of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Carefully lift 1 piece of parchment paper by the ends and transfer to the hot Dutch oven. Place lid back on the Dutch oven.
• Bake in the preheated oven until loaf is golden, about 20 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until top is golden brown, 2 to 5 minutes more. Lift up loaf with with parchment paper and place on a towel to cool. Bake remaining 2 loaves in the same way.

CIABATTA (ITALIAN "SLIPPER" BREAD)

Steps:

• Make sponge:
• In a small bowl stir together yeast and warm water and let stand 5 minutes, or until creamy. In a bowl stir together yeast mixture, room-temperature water, and flour and stir 4 minutes. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let sponge stand at cool room temperature at least 12 hours and up to 1 day.
• 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 and beat dough at medium speed 3 minutes. Add salt and beat 4 minutes more. 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.)
• Have ready a rimless baking sheet and 2 well-floured 12- by 6-inch sheets parchment paper. 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 or 4 to 6 unglazed "quarry" tiles (see note, above) arranged close together on oven rack in lowest position in oven and preheat oven to 425° F.
• Transfer 1 loaf on its parchment to 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 or tiles in a similar manner. Bake ciabatta loaves 20 minutes, or until pale golden. With a large spatula transfer loaves to a rack to cool.

ITALIAN CIABATTA BREAD

Steps:

• In an electric mixer, combine 1 cup water and yeast. Let stand until yeast is creamy, about 10 minutes. Add remaining water and sponge, and mix, using paddle attachment, on low speed until combined, about 2 minutes.
• In a medium bowl, combine flour, powdered milk, and salt; add to yeast mixture, and mix on low speed for 1 minute. Change to dough hook, and mix on medium-low speed until dough is smooth and sticks to fingers slightly when squeezed, about 8 minutes. Or knead by hand, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Transfer dough to a floured surface, and knead four or five turns into a ball. Place dough, smooth side up, in a lightly oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap; let rise in a warm place until dough has doubled in bulk and is slightly blistered and satiny, about 1 hour.
• Punch dough down, and fold over onto itself four or five times. Turn folded side face down in the bowl. Cover, and let rise again in a warm place until doubled in bulk and satiny, about 50 minutes.
• Turn dough onto a floured surface, flour the top, and cut into three pieces.
• Line three baking sheets with parchment; flour generously. Transfer a piece of dough to each baking sheet. Gently pull each piece into a rough rectangle (about 7-by-11 inches). Cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap; let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk and small air pockets appear, about 30 minutes.
• Dimple the surface of the bread with your fingertips. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise again for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with flour, and dimple again; cover, and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes more. Thirty minutes before the rising is completed, place a baking stone, if using, in the lower third of the oven and a baking pan on the lowest shelf. Heat oven to 450 degrees.
• Slide loaves, along with parchment, onto baking stone. If not using a stone, cook on the parchment-lined baking sheets. Quickly pour 2 cups very hot water into the baking pan to create steam, and close the oven door. Bake until bread is golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped on the bottom, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

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.

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.

GARLIC AND BASIL CIABATTA BREAD

Steps:

• Heat the grill / broiler to high.
• Beat together the mayonnaise, butter and garlic cloves until smooth.
• Chop basil, stir through and season with salt and pepper.
• Put the halves of the ciabatta, sliced lengthways, on a baking tray and spread with the butter.
• Sprinkle with grated parmesan, then grill for 2-3 minutes.
• Remove from baking tray and slice each half into smaller slices.

CIABATTA (AN ITALIAN BREAD)

Steps:

• Sponge: In a mixer bowl, add the yeast to the water, allow to stand for 3-4 minutes, stirring gently. Sift the flour and add to the yeast. Combine ingredients well, cover and let stand at room temperature for 12 hours.
• Dough: Add the yeast to the milk, stir and let it stand 3-4 minutes to be sure the yeast is working (it should foam up).
• Add the yeast mixture, water and oil to the sponge and mix with a dough hook.
• Add 2 cups of flour and the salt and knead for 2 minutes at low speed. Add the remaining flour slowly and knead for 3 more minutes, adding more water, until the dough begins to pull from the sides of the bowl.
• The dough should be quite soft and wet - a lot like a thick mud - this is why it cannot be kneaded by hand. Add the last of the flour slowly. Add a little more water, if necessary. (You may have to stop the mixer to scrape the sides of the bowl once or twice. As the dough kneads, you will see it turn from a puddle of mud to a sticky dough with long, long strings of gluten forming and stretching from the sides of the bowl to the ball of dough on the hook).
• Cover or place in a large, oiled bowl and let rise in a warm place for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until TRIPLED in size and bubbly.
• Get three baking sheets and sprinkle them with flour. Take a spatula and carefully spoon out a third of the still very sticky dough onto each. Try not to deflate the dough too much, although it will deflate some, you can't really help it.
• Since ciabatta means slipper in Italian, try to make each loaf the length of a man's shoe. If you spoon the dough out to one edge, and sort of use your spatula to guide it in a ribbon down the baking sheet you can preserve the light strands or striations in the dough, which will look nice when it's proofed and baked. The loaves will probably be about an inch thick. If you want to give them a nicer shape, flour your hands lightly and neaten up the edges into an oblong. Think shoe, not loaf! Think rustic - don't make the loaves overly neat and perfect, you want a rustic look. Flour your hands again and very gently pat the tops of the loaves to flour them, or sprinkle them with flour if you're afraid of smushing them.
• The dough will still be like glue at this point, so don't even try to handle it much. It's a mess, and that's the way it needs to be. Let them proof for 30-40 minutes, or until a little less than double.
• Preheat oven to 220°C/425°F.
• Bake the bread for 25-30 minutes (22-25 minutes if using stones or tiles) or until bread just begins to turn light golden-brown. During the first 10 minutes, brush or spray the bread lightly with water twice (spraying is faster - you don't want the heat escaping from the oven).
• Enjoy!

GRILLED VEGGIES ON TOASTED CIABATTA BREAD

Steps:

• Marinate the red pepper, onion, zucchini, and the portabella mushroom in the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Italian seasoning mixture for 1 hour then grill on med high heat till softened and browned about 5 to 8 minutes.
• Slice the peppers into slices, separate the onions into rings, slice the portabella mushrooms.
• Spread the roasted garlic on one side of the toasted bread.
• Spread your option of Pesto and or giardeniera spread.
• Layer the veggies and cheese.
• Place top on and enjoy.

GRILLED CIABATTA BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat.
• Slice ciabatta in half lengthwise, then cut each half into 1" slices.
• Place bread on grill pan cut side down and grill until golden and crisp.
• Working quickly, drizzle the toasted side with olive oil.
• Rub garlic cloves over the grilled bread, then rub the cut side of the tomato over (squeeze tomato slightly while doing this).
• It is important to do this while the bread is still hot or warm so that the garlic melts into the bread.
• Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

CIAO BELLA CIABATTA BREAD

Steps:

• 1. The night before make the biga. The amounts are somewhat arbitrary. What you are looking for is something that looks like pancake batter. It needs to be thick but not quite a dough yet. The amounts are fairly inconsequential. Add more water or flour until your get the consistency. Cover with plastic wrap and leave overnight in a warm area. About 12 hours before you are going to mix up the rest.
• 2. The next morning: But everything but the salt into a KitchenAid or similar heavy duty mixer. Add the biga as well. Stir with the kneading attachment just until mixed-it will look like pancake batter as well. Leave for 10 minutes.(Note: You cannot do this by hand, period and you must have a heavy duty mixer)
• 3. Add the salt and crank up the mixer to high, and run for at least 10 minutes and up to 30. I found nothing much changed after 10 minutes. Please use the kneading hook. Otherwise this dough will climb up a paddle and into the machine itself. It really will! What you are looking for is this: The dough will pull away from the sides, and will climb the hook, and will pool at the bottom. Mine never comes off the bottom and I'm not sure if that is right or not, but it's just too wet.
• 4. Now, get a big old bowl, the bigger the better. Oil it (about 2 tbsp) Tear off a nice hunk of saran wrap and oil that too. Oil a spatula. (Oil everything! lol)With the oiled spatula, push the dough into the bowl. It will look like a very glossy white glue. Very very sticky, if you touch it, it will adhere to you! Cover with the plastic wrap, and then a couple towels.Place in a warm place (I can put my next to our wood stove)
• 5. Now, leave it alone! Until it has TRIPLED. Yes tripled. This can take 3 hours our 1 1/2 depending on how warm it is. It's probably close to 2 hours for most people. It will look all quivery.
• 6. Take a large area of counter and cover it will flour. Plenty. Then with an oiled spatula, push the dough out carefully, close to the counter, so as to disturb the bubbles as little as possible. Take a sieve and shake flour over the top. Then oil a knife or scraper, and divide the dough into about 3rds. Push them sufficiently apart so they don't grow together again. Cover with towels.
• 7. Heat a pizza or bread stone or upside down cookie sheet in the oven at 500 for an HOUR. Your bread is rising during this time again. At the 45 minute point, you are gonna handle the bread dough. Get two cookie sheets, or one peel.
• 8. Cover the sheets with parchment and sprinkle on some cornmeal. You are going to put one loaf on one and two on the other. Now comes the hard part. Using a large spatula or your scrapper, lift up one loaf and carefully turn it over onto your hand, supporting it with the other hand and place it on cornmealed cookie sheet. (the idea is to flip the bread over which helps to distribute the air bubbles evenly) Pull the dough to help shape, but as long as it's fairly oblong, you are good to go. Do all three.
• 9. Place the first cookie sheet with the two loaves in the oven on top of the stone or upturned cookiesheet. Bake for 20 minutes or to an internal temp of 205 degrees. Take out and put the other one in and do the same thing.
• 10. Call the media and show off your bread skills! Notes: the biga is unnecessary, but does add depth to the flavor. So use it or not as you wish. The flour is weighed. That is more accurate than measuring. Flour weighs differently depending upon humidity. By weight you are looking for about 18 oz. which is around 4 cups.

CHICKEN PARM SLIDERS WITH GARLIC BREAD CIABATTA BUNS

Steps:

• Position racks in the upper third and center of the oven and preheat the broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place the Parmesan in a mini food processor and grind into a snow-like powder. You should have at least 1 1/4 cups. Set aside.
• Set up a breading station with 3 pie plates or shallow bowls. Combine the flour, kosher salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon of the garlic powder in the first pie plate; stir with a fork.
• Beat the eggs with 2 tablespoons water in the second pie plate.
• Combine the panko with 1/2 cup of the ground Parmesan in the third pie plate and stir with a fork.
• Press your palm down on a chicken breast and slice the chicken in half with a sharp knife parallel to the cutting board. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts to make a total of 6 thin pieces. Cut each piece in half crosswise to make a total of 12 mini cutlets.
• Working in an assembly line, dredge each cutlet in the seasoned flour and turn to coat both sides; tap off any excess. Dip the chicken cutlet into the beaten eggs and coat both sides, letting any excess drip off. Then dredge in the Parmesan breadcrumbs and turn to coat both sides. Transfer to the parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Heat 1/2 inch of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shiny. Working in batches if necessary, add the cutlets in a single layer and cook until golden brown and crispy, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove and discard the parchment from the baking sheet and replace it with a wire rack. Transfer the fried cutlets to the prepared baking sheet.
• Make the compound butter: Combine the garlic with the butter, 1/4 cup of the ground Parmesan, and the remaining 1 tablespoon garlic powder in a small bowl. Stir together with a spoon until well combined.
• Place the ciabatta rolls on a rimmed baking sheet. Spread the compound butter on the split sides. Broil on the center rack until golden brown and toasted, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the buns to a work surface.
• Remove the wire rack from the baking sheet and wipe the baking sheet clean. Place the cutlets on the baking sheet and top each with about 2 tablespoons of the tomato sauce and the mozzarella rounds. Broil on the upper rack until the tops are bubbly and the mozzarella is melted and golden, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining sauce in a small saucepan over medium heat until warm. Divide among 4 ramekins.
• To plate, carefully transfer the cutlets with a spatula to the bottom buns, sprinkle each with 2 teaspoons of the ground Parmesan and the basil. Close the sliders and serve with the warmed tomato sauce. Enjoy!

FRAL'S CAPRESE SANDWICH ON GRILLED CIABATTA BREAD

Steps:

• Combine the mayonnaise, peppercorn mustard (or any spicy mustard) and garlic in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Refrigerate to let the flavors meld while you work on the rest of the sandwich.
• Heat a grill to high.
• Brush the eggplant on both sides with oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Grill until golden brown on both sides and just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side, basting with the balsamic on both sides. Brush the peppers with oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Grill until charred on all sides, remove, place in a tightly closed paper bag and let steam for 10 minutes. Remove the skin and the seeds and cut the peppers into strips and set aside.
• When ready to assemble, slice the bread in half lengthwise and put in the toaster oven, cut side up, and toast until a light brown color appears it crisps up slightly. Spread the bread with the mayonnaise mixture on both sides and top the bottom half with eggplant, then arugula, then the peppers and then the cheese. Return this half to the toaster oven to melt the cheese, remove and add the basil then cover with the top of the bread, slice and serve.

CIABATTA BREAD

Steps:

• Place ingredients into the pan of the bread machine in the order suggested by the manufacturer.
• Select the Dough cycle, and Start.
• Dough will be quite sticky and wet once cycle is completed, resist the temptation to add more flour.
• Place dough on a lightly floured board, cover with a large bowl, and let rest for 15 minutes.
• Lightly flour or use parchment lined baking sheets.
• Divide into 2 pieces, and form each into a 3x14 inch oval.
• http://italian-baking.suite101.com/article.cfm/ciabatta_bread_bread_machine_.
• Place loaves on prepared sheets, dimple surface, and lightly flour.
• Cover, and let rise in a draft free place for approximately 45 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Dimple dough for a second time, and then place loaves in the oven, positioned on the middle rack.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
• During baking, spritz loaves with water every 5 to 10 minutes for a crispier crust.

CIABATTA WITH HINTS OF ROSEMARY / BREAD MACHINE

Steps:

• Biga:.
• Place the biga ingredients in machine according to your manufactures directions. My machine calls for wet first then top with dry.
• Set machine for dough cycle, press start and let kneed for 5 minutes. Shut machine off and let rise over night at least 12 hours.
• Dough:.
• Place the wet ingredients over the biga then top with flour and rosemary. Place salt, sugar and yeast in separate corners.
• Set machine to basic dough setting press start.
• When finished remove dough to two bowls covered with an oiled plastic wrap.
• Place in a draft free warm place and let rise till tripled in size. About 1 hour.
• Flour 2 cookie sheet pans.
• Carefully place each dough onto pans. With floured hands shape dough into a rectangle one inch deep. Try not to release any of the air bubbles that were made during the rise.
• Sprinkle dough with flour and let rise again in a draft free warm place for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes.
• Spraying with water during baking gives a crisp crust. Or you can place a couple ice cubes in the oven to release steam which will produce a crisp crust.

CIABATTA BREAD

Steps:

• Place ingredients into the pan of the bread machine in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Select the Dough cycle, and Start. (See Editor's Note for stand mixer instructions.)
• Dough will be quite sticky and wet once cycle is completed; resist the temptation to add more flour. Place dough on a generously floured board, cover with a large bowl or greased plastic wrap, and let rest for 15 minutes.
• Lightly flour baking sheets or line them with parchment paper. Using a serrated knife, divide dough into 2 pieces, and form each into a 3x14-inch oval. Place loaves on prepared sheets and dust lightly with flour. Cover, and let rise in a draft-free place for approximately 45 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Spritz loaves with water. Place loaves in the oven, positioned on the middle rack. Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.

NO-KNEAD CIABATTA BREAD

Steps:

• 1. Pre Heat Oven to 425* Pre Heat baking stone for 30 minutes.. Baking time: 20-25 minutes... The bread is baked on a baking stone, also called a pizza stone or a baking tile.
• 2. they retain and distribute heat evenly, producing a more uniformly baked loaf and nicely browned crusts. To be effective, the stone must be preheated in the oven for at least 30 minutes before the bread is placed on it. Wipe the cooled stone clean after use; do not use soap and water.
• 3. To make the starter, in a stand mixer or hand mixer or you can use your mix setting on your machine... fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the water, 1 cup of the all-purpose flour and the yeast. Mix on low speed for 1 minute. Add the remaining 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour and mix until smooth and soft, about 1 minute. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature until almost tripled in bulk, 4 to 6 hours. The starter will smell yeasty. Refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours or for up to 3 days. When ready to make the dough, remove the starter from the refrigerator and let stand for 1 to 2 hours.
• 4. To make the dough, put the paddle attachment on the mixer again. Add the warm water and milk and the yeast to the starter and mix on low speed, making a soup like mixture. Add 1 1?2 cups of the bread flour, the salt and the 2 Tbs. olive oil. Mix on low speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add only as much of the remaining bread flour as needed to form a very soft, moist dough, and mix on low speed for 5 minutes, occasionally scraping the dough off the bowl sides and paddle. The dough should be very soft and sticky, pulling away from the sides of the bowl but sticking to the bottom.
• 5. Cover the bowl with oiled plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled or tripled in bulk, about 2 hours. The top will be smooth, but the dough will be sticky under the surface.

CIABATTA (CRUSTY SLIPPER BREAD)

Steps:

• You will need a baking stone or 2 jelly roll pans that fit side by side in the oven, plus a cookie sheet with no sides or a piece of stiff cardboard to slide the loaves into the oven.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, stir together the flour and salt.
• In another bowl, whisk the yeast into the water; then stir the yeast mixture into the flour.
• Fit the mixer with the paddle attachment and mix the dough for 1 minute on lowest speed.
• Stop the mixer and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
• Beat the dough again on medium speed, until smooth and elastic, about 2 to 3 minutes.
• Oil a 3-quart bowl and scrape the dough into it; turn the dough over so that the top is also oiled.
• Press plastic wrap against the surface of the dough and let the dough rise at room temperature until it is doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• About 30 minutes before you are ready to bake the dough, place the baking stone on the middle rack of the oven and preheat to 500°; if you are using pans instead of the stone, invert the two pans side by side on the middle rack of the oven and preheat at the same temperature.
• To form the loaves, scrape the dough onto a floured work surface, deflating it as little as possible; gently pat the dough into an 8-inch square; cut in half to make 2 rectangles.
• Sprinkle the cookie sheet or cardboard with cornmeal and arrange one of the pieces of dough at the far end, stretching the dough very slightly as you place it on the pan.
• Open the oven and slide the loaf onto the stone or one of the inverted jelly roll pans, quickly jerking away the cookie sheet or cardboard.
• Repeat with the remaining piece of dough.
• Bake until they are very dark golden and reach an internal temperature of about 200 degrees, about 25 minutes.
• Cool the breads directly on a rack.
• To serve: cut the loaf into thick vertical slices to serve it with a meal; to use the loaves for sandwiches, split them horizontally.

CIABATTA GARLIC BREAD WITH CHEESE

Steps:

• 1. Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Mince garlic and add salt. With a large chef's knife, combine the garlic and salt to make a paste. Use the flat end of the knife to smooth the mixture. Add a pinch more salt if the mixture is not getting moist or smooth enough. This takes a bit of time, but worth the effort. Add black pepper and combine.
• 2. Heat olive oil in medium size saucepan on medium/low heat. Add the garlic paste, let simmer 30 seconds then turn off the heat or if using an electric stove, remove from heat. Leave in pan to cool slightly.
• 3. Slice ciabatta in half horizontally. Spread butter on one half of the loaf and garlic oil mixture on the other half. Sprinkle either side with cheese. Put loaf halves back together and wrap bread in aluminum foil.
• 4. Place wrapped loaf on baking sheet, place on middle rack in oven and bake 15 minutes. Open foil to expose the top of the bread. Sprinkle a little more cheese on exposed bread if desired. Bake an additional 10 minutes. Slice into 1 to 1-1/2 inch portions.
• 5. I like to serve this with my "La La Lasagna". But it's great with soups, salads, and just about anything you'd like to jazz up.