When you have a Business
in Blue Jeans, you have the time and flexibility built
into your schedule, so you can do fun things like baking
your own bread! Here's my favorite ciabatta bread recipe-
this barely makes it past the first hour in my house!
It's a really versatile bread- spread butter and roasted
garlic on it for a savory flavor, or spread creamed honey
on it for a sweet treat.
The ciabatta recipe I use
comes from The
Best of Cooking Light, a great compilation cookbook
from the publishers of Cooking Light Magazine. But this
ciabatta tastes anything but light. You'll find this cookbook
in the Business
in Blue Jeans Bookstore listed in the "Just Good
Stuff" section.
Part
I: The Basic Sponge
You know how sourdough bread needs a sourdough
starter? Well, a sponge is like a pre-fermented starter
for other kinds of bread. I make the sponge 2 hours ahead
to 3 days ahead. Typically, when I'm making the bread
recipe, I'll make a new sponge recipe so it can sit in
the fridge until I'm ready to make the next bread.
Ingredients:
1 cup bread flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1 package dry yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp)
3/4 cup very warm water (120 to 130 degrees)
Part II: Ciabatta
Recipe:
Ingredients:
4 cups bread flour
Basic Sponge
1 1/4 cups warm water (100 to 110 degrees)
2 teaspoons nonfat dry milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 package dry yeast (or 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 Tablespoon cornmeal
2 Tablespoons bread flour
Lightly spoon 4 cups of flour
into dry measuring cups and level with a knife.
Combine with Basic Sponge
and next 4 ingredients in a food processor; process until
the dough forms a ball. Process 1 additional minute.
Turn the dough out onto a
floured surface (dough will be sticky and soft) and divide
dough in half.
Working with one portion of
the dough at a time (cover the remaining dough to keep
it from drying), roll each portion into a 12 x 6-inch
rectangle. Place dough on a parchment paper-lined baking
sheet sprinkled with cornmeal.
Taper the ends of the dough
to form a "slipper" shape. Sprinkle some flour
over the loaves.
Cover and let rise for 30
minutes or until doubled in size. (If you're not sure,
press 2 fingers into the loaf. If the indentations remain,
the dough has risen enough.)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Uncover the dough. Bake bread
at 425 degrees for 25 minutes or until the loaves sound
hollow when tapped. Remove the ciabatta from the baking
sheet and cool on a wire rack.
Yields 2 loaves, 24 servings
(serving size: 1 slice)
You can freeze one loaf for
later, if it lasts long enough.
Calories: 112
Fat 0.5 g
Protein 3.8 g
Carb 22.4 g
Fiber 0.2 g
Chol 0 mg
Iron 1.4 mg
Sodium 99 mg
Calc 7 mg
