Best Ciabatta Italian Slipper Bread Recipes

CIABATTA (ITALIAN SLIPPER BREAD)

Ciabatta (Italian Slipper Bread) image

DH and I buy at least one loaf a week of ciabatta and eat it with olive oil. I finally decided to see it I could make a better bread than the brands we've tried from the store. We agreed that this is the best bread we've EVER had! The first loaf was gobbled before the second one came out of the oven! :) Can't wait to make it again!! Note: The dough will be VERY sticky - do not add more flour. The bread itself is not tall and fluffy. It has a wonderfully crisp, tender crust. It would be perfect for an Italian sandwich, if cut horizontally, of mozzarella, basil, tomatoes, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and s&p.

Provided by Lisa Pizza

Categories Yeast Breads

Time 16h20m

Yield 2 loaves, 4-6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 10

Ingredients

1/8 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 tablespoons water (105-115 F)
1/3 cup room-temp water
1 cup bread flour
1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 tablespoons warm milk (105-115 F)
2/3 cup room-temp water
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

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.

CIABATTA (ITALIAN "SLIPPER" BREAD)

Ciabatta (Italian

The ciabatta does require a simple sponge but it takes only a few minutes to put together the day before making the bread. Though the dough for ciabatta is very wet and sticky, resist the temptation to add more flour.

Categories Bread Bake Spring Gourmet

Yield Makes 2 loaves

Number Of Ingredients 13

Ingredients

For sponge:
1/8 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 tablespoons warm water (105°‐115° F.)
1/3 cup room-temperature water
1 cup bread flour*
For bread:
1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 tablespoons warm milk (105°‐115° F.)
2/3 cup room-temperature water
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups bread flour*
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
*available at many supermarkets and by mail order from The Baker's Catalogue, tel. (800) 827-6836

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.