Ciao bella ciabatta bread is a delicious and versatile Italian bread that can be enjoyed on its own or used to make sandwiches, paninis, and other dishes. The bread has a crispy crust and a soft, chewy interior, and it is often served with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, or other dipping sauces. Ciabatta bread is relatively easy to make at home, and there are many different recipes available online and in cookbooks. In this article, we will explore some of the best recipes for ciao bella ciabatta bread, and we will provide tips for making the perfect loaf.
Here are our top 7 tried and tested recipes!
CIABATTA BREAD RECIPE
Light, porous and airy on the inside, crusty and golden brown on the outside ciabatta bread is all about flavor and texture.
Provided by Italian Recipe Book
Categories Bread
Time 1h10m
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- In a medium size bowl add water and dry yeast. Wait 10 minutes until the yeast is fully dissolved and has a "creamy' texture.
- Mix in the flour. You should get a very loose and sticky dough. It should have consistency thick enough not to come off from the spoon as, say, sour cream or greek yogurt, but wet enough so that it's impossible to knead it by hand.
- Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and let the dough rest at a room temperature for 3-4 hrs or overnight. I just don't recommend leaving biga for more than 24 hrs as the yeast will start to over-mature and loose its power.
- Once biga is rested it will become bubbly and might become even looser when you left it. Now pour lukewarm water in the bowl, going around the edges of the bowl and pouring small portions at a time. This is how we hydrate and aerate biga even more at the same time liberating it from the bowl.
- Pour biga and wate mix into a bowl of a standing mixer, oil the dough hook.Turn on your mixer on low speed, knead for a 1-2 minutes and start adding flour.
- In the last portion of flour (approx 1cup) add salt and mix it into the flour. Add to the dough.Knead on medium speed for 10 minutes. You'll notice the dough starting changing its texture. Becoming more smooth and starting to climb up the hook. Increase mixer speed to high and knead for another 10 minutes. If you mixer bowl is large enough you'll see the dough coming off the bowl sides. That's a perfect sign the dough is ready and has developed strong gluten.You would be able to tell just from the look that it's very silky and shiny.
- Transfer the dough to a big oiled bowl, so that there is enough space for the bread to double or triple.Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise at a room temperature for about 40-50 minutes.
- After the first 40-50 minutes the dough will double in size. Deep a silicon spatula in a water and start folding the dough onto itself, from the outside to the center of the bowl. You should be able to make 6-10 folds.
- Do it gently, so that the dough becomes well aerated and not deflated.Now using both hands, rise the dough from the bowl letting it fold, turn the bowl 90 degrees and fold in the same manner again. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for another 40-50 minutes.
- Repeat this last folding process once again and let the dough rest for the last 40-50 minutes.
- Once it's perfectly bubbly and screams to get out of the bowl, GENEROUSLY sprinkle the working surface with the flour. You'll regret if you wouldn't. The dough is veery sticky, but that's the secret for gorgeous light and airy ciabatta bread.
- Flip the bowl upside down and let the dough "slide" off of the bowl by itself.
- Sprinkle your scrapers and top of the dough with flour again. Constantly assisting with the scrapers give it a rectangular shape. Cut into elongated loaves or individual rolls. You can make the rolls either square or triangle and they are HEAVEN for panini.
- Generously sprinkle linen cloth with flour and using large dough scrapers transfer the bread loaves onto it. Separate each loaf with a towel fold (see the pictures) or use individual towel for each of the loaves.
- Turn on the oven to 450F while ciabatta bread rests on the towel.
- After 10-15 minutes flip ciabatta loaves over on parchment paper sprinkled with semolina or corn flour (to prevent bread from sticking).
- Just before you put the bread into the oven, spray the oven generously with cold water to create as much steam as you can. Steam really helps ciabatta bread to cook perfectly both on the inside and outside.
- Bake ciabatta for 20-25 minutes without EVER opening the oven. After 10 minutes in the oven reduce the heat to 400F. When it's golden brown, or may seem even slightly burned that is it. Your ciabatta bread has just reached its perfection and all you have left is let it cool for 15-20 on the wire rack.
CIABATTA BREAD RECIPE
An authentic Italian recipe for ciabatta bread or slipper bread, originally from the Veneto made with an overnight starter and cooked just like pizza on a preheated pizza stone
Provided by Florentina
Categories Baked Goods
Time 1h10m
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Make your starter the night before you plan to bake the bread.Mix together the yeast with 2 tablespoons of warm water. Allow it to stand for a few minutes.
- In a medium size mixing bowl stir together the yeast mixture with the flour and the water until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and allow it to sit at room temperature overnight. If preparing it in the morning then let it sit until evening and up to 24 hours.
- Use your stand mixer and combine the yeast and the warm plant milk. Let it sit for a few minutes until creamy.Add the starter, olive oil, flour, sea salt and water and mix together for about 10 minutes until everything is incorporated.
- Prepare a large bowl lightly oiled with olive oil. Transfer the bread dough to it and cover with plastic wrap. Allow it to sit until doubled in size, up to 2 hours.
- Turn the bread dough onto a well floured surface and with floured hands cut it in half. Form 2 long loaves.
- Transfer them to a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Optional step: Flour your fingers well and create dimples in the top of the loaves. Sprinkle with some flour.
- Lightly dampen a tea towel and cover the loaves. Allow them to rise again until doubled in size, up to 2 hours.
- Meanwhile preheat your oven to 425" F with a Pizza Stone in the center for 1 hour before planning to bake the bread.Transfer one of the loaves to the preheated pizza stone (together with the parchment paper) and bake for about 25 minutes until golden brown to your liking.
- Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before slicing it with a serrated knife.
CIABATTA
Take five minutes today to make the starter, also called sponge, and tomorrow you can bake two loaves of this marvelous, slightly sour, rustic Italian bread that has a hearty crust.
Provided by Benoit Hogue
Categories Bread Yeast Bread Recipes White Bread Recipes
Time P1DT1h
Yield 15
Number Of Ingredients 10
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.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 96.1 calories, Carbohydrate 17.6 g, Cholesterol 0.2 mg, Fat 1.3 g, Fiber 0.6 g, Protein 3 g, SaturatedFat 0.2 g, Sodium 234.5 mg, Sugar 0.2 g
CIABATTA BREAD
This very simple recipe can be made in the bread machine using the dough cycle. I make it at least 3 times a week.
Provided by Marina
Categories Bread Bread Machine
Time 1h55m
Yield 24
Number Of Ingredients 6
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.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 73.4 calories, Carbohydrate 13.7 g, Fat 0.9 g, Fiber 0.5 g, Protein 2.3 g, SaturatedFat 0.1 g, Sodium 146.3 mg, Sugar 0.2 g
TRADITIONAL ITALIAN CIABATTA BREAD
Steps:
- First make the biga, in a medium bowl combine the flour and yeast then add the water and stir to combine. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a cool dry area for 8-12 hours. If your house is on the warm side then place the biga in the fridge for 8-12 hours, remove from the fridge and let it come to room temperature for about 45-60 minutes.
- In the bowl of the stand up mixer whisk together the flour, yeast and salt, then add the water and biga. With the flat beaters mix until the mixture starts to come together for about 2-3 minutes. Then switch to the dough hook and knead for another 3 minutes. This is a soft sticky dough.
- With the help of a spatula place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm draft free area for about one hour or until doubled in bulk.
- Move the dough to floured flat surface, sprinkle the top of the dough with flour and divide into two parts. Form each part into an oblong shape, place on parchment paper that is lightly sprinkled with flour, then lightly sprinkle the dough with flour. Cover with a clean tea towel and let rise 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.
- Place a baking sheet (upside down) or a baking stone in the oven, and an empty oven proof cake pan on the bottom of the oven, then pre-heat the oven to 450F (230C)
- Before putting the dough in the oven add either a cup of boiling water or some ice cubes (about 8) in the cake pan, then quickly & carefully place the parchment paper and bread on the cookie sheet or baking stone and bake for approximately 20 minutes.Move the baked bread immediately to a wire rack to cool. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts : Calories 600 kcal, Carbohydrate 123 g, Protein 20 g, Fat 2 g, SaturatedFat 1 g, Sodium 1171 mg, Fiber 7 g, Sugar 1 g, ServingSize 1 serving
GENUINE ITALIAN CIABATTA BREAD
Great food deserves to be accompained by great bread - this is the one I bake myself these days... I never really measure anything, so the ingredients are aprox., but I tried to measure up what I usually do - and below is what I came up with.. How ever feel free to experiement around with the flours - add more bolted flour for a heavier and more rustic loaf and more durum for a more filling one. However an all durum flour bread wont turn out very well so always use more regular flour than durum... It may sound like a lot of time to make, but the actual working time is very limited. Enjoy
Provided by Chef Anders Osterga
Categories Yeast Breads
Time 45m
Yield 1 loaf of bread
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Mix yeast and water in a large bowl. Then add the flours and knead the loaf by hand for about 10-15 minutes. Add the salt in the last 2-3 minutes.
- Let the bread rest in the fridge in a closed container - with room to raise, for at least 24 hours (I often keep a batch in my fridge and just take out chunks to bake, when i need some bread, leaving the rest of the dough in the fridge - it keeps for a few days (3-4).
- Take out the dough about 2-3 hours before baking, letting it reach room temperature. Do not knead the dough and be careful not to knock out all the air, just let it rest around the flour dusted kitchentable under a clean kitchentowel. Bake the bread in a 250 degrees celcius oven pref. on a heat resistant stone. Throw in a bit of water in the bottom of the oven to create some steam when the bread is inserted. Reduce the heat to around 220 degrees celcius after 10 minutes Let the bread bake for around 30 minutes but check it earlier.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 1576.5, Fat 4.6, SaturatedFat 0.7, Sodium 3897.3, Carbohydrate 328.1, Fiber 13.6, Sugar 1.1, Protein 47.7
CIABATTA
Make restaurant-menu ciabatta bread at home. All you need are six ingredients.
Provided by Betty Crocker Kitchens
Categories Side Dish
Time 18h20m
Yield 24
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- In small bowl, stir starter ingredients until well blended. Cover with plastic wrap; let stand at room temperature 12 to 24 hours.
- In large bowl, mix starter and all bread ingredients except cornmeal with heavy-duty electric mixer using dough hook on medium speed 4 minutes or in food processor fitted with metal blade for 1 minute. Dough will be very sticky.
- Grease medium bowl with shortening or cooking spray. Place dough in bowl, turning dough to grease all sides. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap; let rise at room temperature about 1 hour 30 minutes or until double in size. Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched. Gently stir down dough with rubber spatula. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise 1 hour longer.
- On generously floured surface, divide dough in half. Gently press each half with floured fingers into 10x4-inch rectangle. Sprinkle cornmeal over large cookie sheet; place loaves 3 inches apart on cornmeal. Using spray bottle with fine mist, spray tops of loaves with cool water. Cover loosely with plastic wrap; let rise 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours or until almost double in size.
- Heat oven to 425°F. Using spray bottle with fine mist, spray tops of loaves with cool water. Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until loaves sound hollow when tapped. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 70, Carbohydrate 14 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Fiber 0 g, Protein 2 g, SaturatedFat 0 g, ServingSize 1 Slice, Sodium 150 mg, Sugar 0 g, TransFat 0 g
Tips:
- To ensure your ciabatta bread turns out perfectly, make sure to weigh your ingredients accurately. Using a kitchen scale is the best way to achieve precise measurements.
- The dough for ciabatta bread is very wet and sticky. Do not be tempted to add more flour, as this will result in a dense, heavy loaf. If the dough is too sticky to handle, wet your hands with water before working with it.
- Ciabatta bread is best baked in a Dutch oven or a baking cloche. This creates a steamy environment that helps the bread to rise and develop a crispy crust.
- When baking ciabatta bread, do not overcrowd the baking vessel. The loaves need space to expand as they bake.
- Ciabatta bread is best eaten fresh, but it can be stored for up to 3 days at room temperature or up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
Conclusion:
Ciabatta bread is a delicious and versatile bread that can be enjoyed on its own or used to make sandwiches, paninis, and bruschetta. With a little practice, you can easily make ciabatta bread at home. Just remember to follow the tips above and you'll be sure to end up with a perfect loaf of ciabatta bread.
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