After taking some time off, I'm happy to be back to baking bread. Each week (or so) I will be making a bread recipe from Peter Reinhart’s wonderful book, The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread. The seventh recipe in the Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge is Ciabatta.
Ciabatta is a wonderful bread from northern Italy. The flat shape of this bread gives us its name which means "slipper" in English. Ciabatta bread is characterised by a crunchy, floured crust and a soft crumb.I found preparing and shaping this dough a bit difficult. I didn't achieve the 'holey' crumb that I was expecting. I think I must have overworked the dough. It tasted great though and I'll definitely be making this again.
I took the ciabatta loaves with me to the cottage. We sliced the bread, grilled it on the BBQ, rubbed a garlic clove over the surface and then brushed it with fruity olive oil. Yum!
Be sure to check out what the other challenge participants have done.
Next bread: Cinnamon Buns!
I loved making the ciabatta until we made the focaccia and now I am like ciabatta what?
ReplyDeleteThe cinnamon rolls rock btw.
I pretended I made the ciabatta. I lived vicariously thru my baking partner. Who btw did not save me a cinnie roll...
ReplyDeleteI bet YOU save me a cinnie roll...
I love all the BBA stuff. Very yum. I like the ciabatta because it's so rustic & slipper like...yours looks YUM! That's my fave way of having it too; rubbed with garlic & drizzled with olive oil...LOVELY!!
ReplyDeleteI love homemade ciabatta! Yours looks wonderful!
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Rosa
I love Ciabatta. I a few slices, some olive oil and garlic to rub on it, a glass of Pinot and I am all set.
ReplyDeleteI love Ciabatta, but sadly (for me) I'm not much of a baker. Yours looks beautiful.
ReplyDeleteSam
I love ciabatta and wish I had that loaf for dinner tonight!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful bread! I love ciabatta. Can't wait to see the cinnamon rolls!
ReplyDeleteI haven't tried making ciabatta as yet but I do like having this as a sandwich. Definitely have to give this recipe a go one weekend when I have the time.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great baking group this is, the bread looks so good! I can't wait to see more!!
ReplyDeleteLooks like a great cibatta to me!
ReplyDeleteLooks great! Perfectly shaped.
ReplyDeleteWelcome back!
It looks great to me. I want to try my hands at making this Ciabatta bread. Read so much abt it..haha hope I will be able to make them oneday :) Thanks for sharing the recipe.
ReplyDeleteMmmmm...bread. One of my many weaknesses. This looks so yummy.
ReplyDeleteWow, how perfect is your ciabatta. This is the bread that my husband and my son really love.
ReplyDeleteHi Ben
ReplyDeleteI am glad to find you again.
I love your cooking, just perfect x
I love ciabatta! I've seen some with a lot fewer holes in the crumb than this, which looks great.
ReplyDeleteCiabatta bread looks and sounds wonderful! Would love a slice!
ReplyDeleteI love ciabatta! Yours looks yummy. Well done!
ReplyDeleteGlad you're back! I didn't get the wonderful holes, either, but I plan on trying again.
ReplyDeleteHoles or not, it looks wonderful! I love that dusty crust.
ReplyDeleteYum, it looks good! There's nothing better than homemade bread!
ReplyDeleteAlthough I buy it often, I've never made ciabatta. I promised myself that I'd bake more bread when the weather breaks. I'm really encouraged by your efforts, Dragon!
ReplyDeleteGood to see you back!
ciabatta is one of my FAV bread! But it's So hard to make though! Yours look so perfect, you are so talented!
ReplyDeleteAwesome looking bread!
ReplyDeleteAnd I love the new blog look!
Oh, dear. Ciabatta is one of my favorites too ... and this looks just perfect. Can I hire you to come and bake bread at my house?? I'll ply you with delicious panini...
ReplyDeleteciabatta looks lovely! i'm so impressed as i have yet to venture into bread-making :)
ReplyDeleteYour bread looks perfect. Great job with BBA
ReplyDeleteWow, I never try homemade ciabatta...yours look yummie! Nicely done!
ReplyDeleteThat crumb is a LOT holier than mine was! Beautiful loaf!
ReplyDeleteCiabatta is such a fickle bread. My advice is to touch it as little as possible, and to avoid popping any of the bubbles when shaping it.
ReplyDeleteBut the loaf looks quite lovely nonetheless.