Ciabatta Bread
Making ciabatta bread is cool,
interesting, and very artistic. I already have my bags of flour measured and
weighed and bagged. I even have my oil measured and in a container. My yeast is
also weighed out and wrapped in a jar.
When I am ready, I spray the large mixer
and paddle, measure the warm water, pour it into the bowl, and mix it with the
yeast. When it is dissolved, I add the oil and mix that for a few seconds. When
everything is dissolved, I add my first bag of flour and mix it until the flour
is totally mixed. I have to scrape the bowl and paddle a few times. I make sure
not to beat the flour mixture too much. When it is ready, I pour it into a
sprayed pail and set it up by the warm oven.
When the flour mixture doubles in size, I
pour it back into the mixing bowl that I have sprayed with cooking oil once
again, along with the paddle. I add the second bag of flour, which has salt and
mix it until it is dissolved. I scrap the bowl and the paddle, making sure that
I get all the dry flour mix in. When it is completely mixed, I scrap the dough
into the pail, which I have sprayed with cooking oil. I carry the pail back and
set it next to the warm oven.
When the dough doubles in size, I pour it
into two large sheet trays. The sheet trays have parchment on the bottom and a
baking collar around the outside. I spray all with cooking oil and sprinkle
cornmeal on the bottom. I divide the dough into the two sheet trays. Dipping my
hands into oil, I spread the dough. When it fits the sheet, I carry it to the cooling
rack and let it double in size.
When the bread is ready to bake, I place
the sheets in a preheated oven of 325 degrees and bake for 55 minutes. The
kitchen fills up with the aroma of freshly baked bread. I pull out the sheets
of bread, and lay them on the prep table, and take the collars off. The smell
of freshly baked bread and the golden brown crust makes it difficult not to
want to cut into the bread.
Sometimes, I do cut a small piece off of
the side of the bread. Then I place it into the cooler. The ciabatta bread is
used at my daughter’s deli for her sandwiches.
Baking the bread is a bit of a chore but
it is well worth it. The customers love the bread and when I finish baking it
and see and take a small slice of the bread, I am totally satisfied with my
work.
