WHOLE-GRAIN CIABATTA BREAD(OR ROLLS)

Whole-Grain Ciabatta Bread(Or Rolls) image

Ciabatta means "slipper" in Italian. The loaves are fairly flat and oblong, with large air holes and a nice crust. Directions given for making rolls too. Recipe by Linda Larsen on Low Cholesterol Cooking. A good recipe using whole wheat flour and oat bran.

Provided by Sharon123

Time 45m

Yield 2 loaves, 8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 9

Ingredients

1 cup lukewarm water
1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast
1/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup whole wheat flour (I use 1/2 cup and use 1/2 cup less bread flour)
1/2 cup oat bran
2 -2 1/2 cups bread flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cornmeal

Steps:

In large bowl, combine water and yeast; stir and let stand for 10 minutes. When yeast is bubbly, add milk, olive oil, whole-wheat flour, oat bran, ½ cup bread flour, and salt and beat for 2 minutes. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
Add enough remaining bread flour to make a soft dough; beat for 1 minute. Cover bowl and let rise for 1 hour.
Remove dough to lightly floured surface (dough will be soft and sticky). Grease two 4″ × 10″ shapes on a large cookie sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal. Divide dough in half and shape into two 3″ × 9″ rectangles on the greased areas of the cookie sheet. Let rise for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400ºF. Place a 9″ pan filled with ½″ of water on bottom rack. Bake bread on middle rack for 20-30 minutes or until loaves are light golden brown and sound hollow when tapped with fingers. Cool on wire rack.
Yields 2 loaves; 8 servings.
For Rolls:.
2 tablespoons olive oil.
3 tablespoons cornmeal.
Prepare Whole Wheat Ciabatta Bread through the first rising. Punch down dough and turn onto lightly floured surface.
Divide dough into 6 portions. Using floured fingers, shape each portion into a 3″ × 3″ rectangle.
Grease six 4″ × 4″ squares on a cookie sheet with olive oil and sprinkle with cornmeal. Place dough onto each cornmeal coated square. Drizzle with remaining olive oil.
Let rise in warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 425ºF.
Bake rolls for 10-15 minutes or until very light brown. Turn off oven and prop open oven door. Let rolls stand in oven for another 5 minutes. Then remove from oven and let cool on wire racks.
Yields 6 rolls.
Note:.
Creating Steam When Baking Bread.
Adding steam to the oven when baking bread makes a crisper, thicker crust. There are several ways to do this. You can place a pan with some water in it on the rack below the bread. You can also spritz the loaves with water a few times while the bread is baking. The steam helps keep the bread softer longer, so the crust develops more slowly.