Ciabatta Bread
from Italian Traditional Food

Homemade ciabatta bread is heavenly

Ciabatta bread is a simple bread recipe from Italian Traditional Food. Ciabatta bread can be eaten with soup, pasta dishes, antipasti or just enjoyed on its own. Ciabatta bread will make a pleasant change from the usual manufactured bread. Also try Rustic Italian bread, Grissini, Bread rolls, Olive Bread, and Focaccia breads.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Resting Time: 120 minutes (approx)

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Oven Setting: Preheat to 220C (425F) or Gas Mark 7

Ingredients for ciabatta bread:

3 cups plain flour (all-purpose)
1 cup (approx) lukewarm water
1 pack dry active yeast
1 tsp salt
4 tbsp olive oil
1/8 cup cornmeal

Method:

1. Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water.

2. Set aside for a few minutes.

3. Sift the flour into a large warmed bowl.

4. Sprinkle in the salt.

5. Make a well in the flour using a wooden spoon.

6. Pour the yeast and water mixture into the flour well.

7. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of flour over top of the yeast mixture. Wait (about 10 minutes) for bubbles to appear in the yeast.

8. Once the bubbles have appeared, you can start to mix together the ingredients to form the dough.

9. Add the olive oil and continue to mix.

10. The result at this stage should be a round, firm ball of dough. If it is too dry, add a little more lukewarm water. If it's too sticky, add a little more flour.

11. Remove the bread from the bowl.

12. Place on a lightly floured surface.

13. Knead it by pushing your palms into and then turning it one quarter.

14. Keep kneading and doing quarter turns for about 10 minutes.

15. Place the bread dough in a lightly floured bowl.

16. Cover with a damp dish cloth.

17. Let it rise for about 1 hour in a warm place. It should double in size.

18. Lightly flour a work surface.

19. Prepare a baking pan or loaf tin by lightly oiling it.

20. Sprinkle the cornmeal in to the base.

21. Remove bread from bowl and place on floured surface.

22. Punch it down once, hard, with your palms.

23. Shape it into a loaf that is about 1 inch high.

24. Put the loaf on the baking pan or into a loaf tin.

25. Cover with dish towel.

26. Let the bread dough rise for about 1 hour. It should double in size.

27. Sprinkle flour on the top of the loaf.

28. Put in preheated oven at 220C (425F) or Gas Mark 7.

29. Bake for about 30 minutes depending on how brown you want it to be.

30. Remove from oven.

31. Place the ciabatta bread on a wire rack to cool.

Tip:

1. If your yeast doesn't bubble (see Step 7), it's no longer active or you didn't use lukewarm water. You will need to start all over again, because the bread will not rise.

Locate another Italian Traditional Food recipe here

To discover more about Italian food visit the Italian Traditional Food webpage