Ciabatta Recipe

Ciabatta

Recipe by: Benoit Hogue

"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."

Directions

Prep
20 m
Cook
20 m
Ready In
1 d 1 h

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 1cup of the bread flour. Stir 4 minutes, then over 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.

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Nutrition Facts

Per Serving: 9 calories; 0.9 g fat; 0.2 g carbohydrates; 0.1 g protein; < 1 mg cholesterol; 234 mg sodium. Full nutrition

By Patricia Guerra

How much yeast is in a package of yeast?

By Tim Claxton

Can I freeze dough and then bake it later?

By Tiffany J.

I want my bread loaves to have a thicker crust. What can I do?

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Reviews

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246 Ratings

Most helpful positive review

Nikki Sell

3/14/2006

This was the best bread I've ever made! I prepared the sponge two days in advance and kept it in the fridge. I had no problems with it being too sticky like others mentioned. I cooked it on a pi...

Most helpful critical review

ydnandrew

2/3/2011

I'll start with the good: I've been making bread for a couple years and this is easily the best bread I've made to date. It was soft, chewy, soaked up butter like a sponge when I served it. Th...

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Least positive

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Nikki Sell

3/14/2006

This was the best bread I've ever made! I prepared the sponge two days in advance and kept it in the fridge. I had no problems with it being too sticky like others mentioned. I cooked it on a pi...

TRC43

11/14/2001

The easiest 'real sourdough' recipie; those without 'aging' of dough lack the genuine ciabatta taste, even though they may get the consistancy right. This one gets even better with more than on...

Gitana

6/13/2008

I cannot tell you how AMAZING this bread is. 3 loaves were gone in under a day and a half! It is crunchy on the outside, soft and moist on the inside and filled with all these lovely bubbly crat...

freshfromtheoven

5/23/2009

I have fallen in love with making bread these past few months, and this is the best recipe I have have found, by far. I have made at least 12 loaves with this, and every time I make it, my roomm...

MORIAH BENGE

5/23/2002

My husband and I celebrated our 11 year wedding anniversary with Friends and an Italian meal. Since my husband had visited Italy and collected recipes when we were there, the only one missing w...

ShariV

10/17/2003

Awesome recipe! It makes such a wonderful, crusty bread that it's tempting to eat the whole loaf! I didn't have parchment, or a baking stone, so I oiled a cookie sheet, and sprinkled cornmeal ...

ydnandrew

2/3/2011

I'll start with the good: I've been making bread for a couple years and this is easily the best bread I've made to date. It was soft, chewy, soaked up butter like a sponge when I served it. Th...

Marcia

10/26/2005

I made this bread today and it turned just like the ones I've paid big bucks at the especialty's stores. Great taste and texture. I sent a piece of this bread w/my husband's lunch and he shared ...

SAM DONALDSON

1/30/2001

Great tasting recipe, and a good airy texture to the bread. Very, very, very sticky.

Ciabatta

Ingredients

Directions