Easy Ciabatta Bread Recipe

It was bread week in the Great British Bake Off Bakealong which I found amusing since I had been playing around with bread last week when I made the Garlic Rosemary Focaccia Bread. I do bake a lot of bread – OK, I eat a lot of bread. What can I say? I love bread! For the challenge this week we were tasked with making ciabatta bread which I had never made before so I was kind of excited; I enjoy trying new recipes. As breads go, it’s an easy one – at least in my opinion. There are a couple of places where things can go wrong but that’s making bread for you. This easy ciabatta bread recipe should have you enjoying delicious homemade loaves in no time.

This easy ciabatta bread recipe is by way of Paul Hollywood through Laura at Little House Big Alaska. She tests all the recipes she puts up for the Great British Bake Off Bakealong as she is the host.

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Makes 4 loaves

500 grams bread flour (if you’re scooping flour sift it, you’ll need about 4 7/8 cups)
2 teaspoons salt
3 teaspoons rapid rise yeast
440 ml tepid water not warm, not ice cold (just short of 15 oz)
olive oil for greasing the proofing container
flour for dusting
corn meal for dusting

measure the flour into the bowl of a stand mixer, put yeast on one side of the bowl, salt on the other
fit the mixer with a dough hook
pour 3/4 of the water in the bowl, set the machine on low and let it mix
once it’s started to mix in, slowly add the remaining water
then let the mixer work until a very soft dough has formed
use the olive oil to grease a 2-3 liter tub with a lid, glass or plastic

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put the dough in the box, cover and let rise slowly at room temperature until at least doubled in size

once the dough has risen prepare two baking trays with parchment, or dust with flour
dust a clean counter with flour and sprinkle a little corn meal over the flour
turn the dough box completely over and turn dough out in a square, it will spread a bit, resist the urge to knock it back or punch it down, let it keep all its lovely bubbles
dust the top with more flour
using a bench scraper cut the square in half, then cut each half in half so you have 4 equal lengths of dough
take each length firmly in hand, turn it over slightly so the cut runs along the top, and place on prepared baking trays

place two loaves on each tray and let them rest uncovered for 25 minutes
preheat the oven to 430? after 15 minutes of resting
once the oven is hot, place the baking trays in the oven and bake the ciabatta for 25 minutes or until they sound hollow when you thump them

How Was the Ciabatta Bread?

This was some really yummy bread. The crust had a nice crunch and the inside was nice and chewy. I popped a couple of the loaves in the freezer for later and have to admit that the other two were mostly enjoyed with butter.

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It’s that kind of bread. I served it one night with a nice bowl of cream of broccoli soup. The hubby needed a lunch for the road and I packed him a couple of pieces with some quality, sharp cheddar cheese and some grapes. He said it was a perfect meal. I suspect that much like the focaccia bread this will make a great base for pizza.