Ciabatta Bread

A few years back I searched for a good homemade, artisan like, bread that had a thin crust that my little one could chew. I was trying to make our own bread for a while and I wanted more than just soft sandwich bread. I found this recipe from thefreshloaf.com and it's one of my favorite breads. There are two variations and is suggested to make with bread flour but I've always used the first variation and just all purpose flour. I also weigh my ingredients to make sure it turns out but I have approximations to help if you don't have a scale. When I make this ciabatta bread we go through it pretty quick. Sometimes I double it and freeze all the extra loaves. It's great for sandwiches, and bread at dinner, but I mostly like it toasted with butter and jam. 

Ciabatta Bread

Makes 3, 10 inch loaves

Ingredients

50 g flour (about 3 1/4 cups)

475 g water (2 1/2 cups)

2 teaspoons yeast

15 g salt (3 teaspoons)

Directions

Mix ingredients in a stand mixer. Let sit for 10 min to let the yeast do it's magic. 

Beat the living daylights out of the dough (I use speed 6 on my Kitchen Aide) for 10-30 min. To help it move faster I start with the paddle attachment then move to the dough hook when the dough begins to climb high on the paddle. 

Mix until the dough is only sticking to the bottom of the bowl as you mix.

It will be a sticky, goopy, booger like dough ball. Haha sorry, but it is. 

Place in well oiled large bowl and let rise until it has tripled in size. About 2.5 hours. Check every hour to half hour.

Empty out on a well floured surface. *This can be a difficult dough to work with but it's very doable with well floured hands and quick hand motions. 

Cut into 3 or 4 even sections and shape them into 10 inch oblong loaves on parchment paper. (I basically cut then gently stretch)

Cover with towel and let raise another 45 minutes. I often just let it raise near the preheating oven and put them in when it's heated. My oven is slow :)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees with a pizza stone or upside down cookie sheet on the middle rack. 

Bake in 2 batches if needed. 

Bake 20 minutes 

Let it cool completely 

Enjoy!!!