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.