| A little help from my friends | | | | larger bowl along with the 1/3 cup water and 1 cup |
| This is another recipe sent to me by Dan Locaputo, | | | | bread flour. Stir the mixture for about 4 to 5 minutes, |
| and is it ever delicious. Thanks Dan for letting us use | | | | then cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 12 to 24 |
| your recipe here. I made some changes mainly so you | | | | hours in a cool place. |
| can make it in a bread maker. | | | | Preparation of the bread |
| Truly Italian | | | | In a small bowl, stir 1/2 teaspoons yeast and 2 |
| Ciabatta bread was probably first made in Liguria, Italy | | | | tablespoons milk and again let it stand until it is creamy |
| but is now found throughout Italy. It has also become | | | | (about 5 minutes). Place the mixture in the bread |
| very popular across Europe and the US, and if you | | | | machine along with the sponge, 2/3 cup water, olive oil, |
| have tried it, you know why. The bread is also popular | | | | and 2 cups bread flour and mix until the flour is |
| as sandwich bread. It has a hard outer crust and a | | | | moistened. Add the salt and mix until you have a |
| delicious taste. Although it is not complex to make, it | | | | smooth and elastic dough ball (about 10 to 15 minutes). |
| does take about 2 days, because you have to wait on | | | | It will be sticky but put the dough into an oiled bowl |
| the dough to rise. First, you start out by making a | | | | scrapping up all of it and cover with plastic wrap. The |
| sponge followed by the final bread making process. | | | | dough should rise at room temperature for about 2 |
| Ingredients (2 loaves): | | | | hours (until double in size) - make sure it is full of holes |
| For the sponge | | | | and sticky before you go to the next step. |
| - 1/8 teaspoon active dry yeast | | | | Place the dough on a floured surface, and cut it in half. |
| - 2 tablespoons warm water (110 to 115 degrees F) | | | | Place each half on wax paper and form them into |
| - 1/3 cup warm water (110 to 115 degrees F) | | | | oval shapes (about 9 inches long). Dimple loaves with |
| - 1 cup bread flour | | | | floured fingers and dust the tops with flour. Take a |
| For the bread | | | | dampened towel, and cover the loaves. Let the loaves |
| - 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast | | | | rise at room temperature for about 2 hours (until each |
| - 2 tablespoons warm milk (110 to 115 degrees F) | | | | loaf has almost doubled). |
| - 2/3 cup warm water (110 to 115 degrees F) | | | | At least 45 minutes before baking the bread, place a |
| - 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil | | | | baking stone on the lowest oven rack position and |
| - 2 cups bread flour | | | | preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Once the stone has |
| - 1 - 1/2 teaspoons salt | | | | become hot, transfer the loaves to it. Bake the loaves |
| Preparation of the sponge | | | | for 20 minutes or until pale golden brown. Once they |
| Stir the 1/8 teaspoon dry yeast and 2 tablespoons of | | | | have cooked cool them on a wire rack. |
| warm water in a small bowl and let it stand for 5 to 10 | | | | Perfecto! |
| minutes (until creamy). Place the creamy mixture into a | | | | |