Ciabatta

I never knew ciabatta bread tasted so good until now! I thought it was just plain and white bread, but it's not. It tastes like olive oil flavoured bread, but even better.

Ciabatta is an Italian type of bread and is commonly used to make sandwiches. Or you can just dip these is olive oil mixed with balsamic vinegar.

Before getting on with this recipe, let me tell you that ciabatta bread dough is very wet. You need to knead it on a floured surface for a long time to get a smooth, non-sticky texture. I had to knead for 30 minutes, but it was fine because I just watched something while kneading. :)

I also made sandwiches with these ciabattas!

CIABATTA BREAD (Yields 6 ciabattas, 10 x 15cm in size)

Ingredients

-550g all-purpose flour

-20g white granulted sugar

-2 tsp. salt

-2 tsp. instant dry yeast

-430ml water

-100ml olive oil

-2 tbsp all-purpose flour for garnish

Instructions

1. In a large bowl sift in flour and salt.

2. Heat the water until warm but not hot. Add the yeast and sugar and stir. Proof the yeast for 10 minutes until puffed-up.

3. Pour the yeast liquid mixture and olive oil into the flour mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until a dough forms.

4. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and rub your hand with flour also. Knead the dough by hand in a stretching-folding motion for 30 minutes. Keep flouring the surface and hands. Don't put too much flour though. A scraper is handy here, for scraping the dough off the surface. The dough should be smooth when you're done.

5. Form the dough into a circle and let it rest in a warm area for 1 hour until doubled in size. I placed the dough in a bowl atop of another bowl filled with hot water.

6. Place the rested dough on a floured surface. Divide it into 6 equal portions.

7. On two baking pans lined with parchment paper, place 3 portions of dough on each pan. Flatten each piece of dough into a slipper-like shape.

8. Let the ciabattas rest for 40-50 more minutes, in a warm area.

Preheat your oven at this point to 200 degrees Celsius.

9. Sprinkle some flour on the tops of each ciabatta.

10. Bake 1 pan of ciabattas in the oven for 20 minutes. Repeat for the other pan. Enjoy them warm!

Recipe adapted from a Korean cookbook named 진짜 기본 베이킹 책 by super recipes. http://www.super-recipe.co.kr/etc_06/etc_s4_01.php?inc=view&idx=130&tbname=notice

#breads