Ciabatta at home. Cooking recipes. Italian ciabatta (classic recipe) Classic ciabatta recipe from the baker

Ciabatta at home.  Cooking recipes.  Italian ciabatta (classic recipe) Classic ciabatta recipe from the baker
Ciabatta at home. Cooking recipes. Italian ciabatta (classic recipe) Classic ciabatta recipe from the baker

I bring to your attention a classic recipe for Italian ciabatta bread. As a rule, it is baked in special stone ovens, but it is also possible to do this at home.

The main thing is to knead the right dough and let it rest thoroughly for 12-15 hours. Then form the blanks and leave them alone again for 1 hour. As you can see, the process is long, but the bread turns out gorgeous. Its peculiarity is its thin crispy crust and unevenly porous crumb. In addition, such recipes require a minimum set of ingredients.

Ciabatta is served with salads and soups, and a variety of sandwiches and bruschettas are also made from it.

To prepare classic Italian ciabatta in the oven, prepare the ingredients according to the recipe list.

Sift the required amount of wheat flour into a deep bowl that is convenient for kneading. Add salt and dry instant yeast.

Mix thoroughly, make a well in the center and pour warm water into it.

Stir the flour mixture with a spoon. The dough should be thick and sticky. Cover the bowl with a towel or cover with cling film and leave at room temperature for 12-15 hours.

Over time, the dough will grow significantly and increase in volume; there will be many air bubbles of different sizes on its surface. Our task is to preserve them.

Dust your work surface with flour and turn out the dough.

Use your hands to shape it into a rectangle and fold the long edges inward.

Fold the side parts towards the center (as in the photo).

Cut the dough in half.

Prepare a “cradle” for the future bread - wrap cardboard rolls or long heat-resistant glass bottles with foil and place along the edges and center of the baking sheet, cover the resulting structure with parchment. Transfer the dough, stretching it slightly lengthwise. Sprinkle with wheat flour, cover with a towel and leave for 1 hour at room temperature. When our preparations have “rested”, place them in an oven preheated to 220 degrees.

Bake with steam for the first 10 minutes; to do this, place a wide tray with hot water on the bottom of the oven. Cook for the remaining time (20-25 minutes) as usual until nicely browned.

Once the bread is baked, transfer it to a wire rack and let cool completely.

That's all, delicious, aromatic classic Italian ciabatta is ready.

The bread has a crispy crust on top and a porous crumb inside.

Bon appetit!


Recipe for making Italian bread - ciabatta at home. A magnificent, incredibly aromatic ciabatta bread baked with your own hands in the oven turns out very airy with uneven porosity and a real crispy crust. Ciabatta, Italian for “slippers or boots,” is baked into a small rectangle, resulting in jagged, rounded edges—hence the name.

The bread of Italian peasants is prepared from simple ingredients - water, flour and yeast. The bread dough rests for quite a long time - about 10 - 12 hours. Then it is cut into “slippers” and baked in an oven preheated to 200 degrees, with steam. It is the high humidity in the oven that gives the bread that crispy crust. You can prepare ciabatta with any additives: sun-dried tomatoes or peppers, cheese or onions, marjoram or basil, olive oil or milk, etc.

Required ingredients:

850 g wheat flour + for working with dough;

650 ml. warm water;

2 teaspoons salt;

1/2 teaspoon dry yeast.

How to cook:

Place flour in a saucepan or large cup.

Add salt and yeast, stir the mixture with a large wooden spoon.

Pour in warm water. Since the dough will infuse for about 12 hours, it is best if the water temperature is at room temperature, no more. This way the yeast is not activated ahead of time and the rise will occur gradually.

Using a wooden spoon, stir the dough until smooth. You don’t need to knead for too long, just enough so that all the ingredients are mixed and the moisture is distributed evenly. The dough, as you can see, should be sticky and unstable. Cover the pan or cup with the dough with a lid, but not too tightly, as it should “breathe” while rising. Leave the dough to rise at room temperature for 10 - 12 hours, or you can leave it on the kitchen counter until the morning.

My dough stood for exactly 12 hours, it “bubbled” very well - this means that it’s time to cut it.

It is more convenient to work with such liquid dough on a kitchen towel. Sprinkle flour generously onto a towel and use a silicone spatula to fold the dough out.

Sprinkle flour on both sides of the dough sheet and use your fingers to knead it into a rectangle shape. Then pull up one side and fold it towards the middle of the layer.

Now stretch this “envelope” again with your fingers to the shape of a rectangle and again begin to gather the edges towards the center.

Turn the finished layer, rolled into three layers, over and use a sharp knife to divide into four equal parts. This will be our future Italian bread – ciabatta.

Place parchment paper on a baking sheet. Take one piece and stretch it a little with your hands. Transfer the ciabatta onto the parchment paper and place the second bread in the same manner.

Turn on the oven and preheat it to 200 degrees.

While the oven is heating up, the cut bread will have time to “come to life” after such shock treatment. In order for the bread to have a good crispy crust, you need to bake the ciabatta with steam. The most convenient way is to place a metal bowl of water on the bottom of the oven. Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake the bread for 30 minutes until the characteristic color appears.

Meanwhile, collect the rest of the bread and transfer the ciabatta onto parchment paper as well. Remove the finished bread from the oven and cool. To ensure that the parchment comes away from the bread well, wipe it with a damp cloth on the back side and carefully remove the softened paper.

Italian bread - ciabatta is ready!

17.11.2018

For some, bread is just bread: a flour product with which you can make a morning sandwich in a couple of minutes or which is served as an essential element with a cup of soup. And some people like to try new types and understand their differences, so they will never call ciabatta just a loaf. This Italian bread is worth trying at least once so that you won’t be able to forget it and want to make it yourself. But how realistic is it to bake ciabatta in the oven? There are many recipes, but not everyone succeeds in their successful implementation.

Ciabatta: key features

I mixed the ingredients, poured it into a mold and baked - not at all about ciabatta: this is a product that requires attention and care. On average, it takes 16-18 hours to prepare, which partly provides it with that specific structure with a large number of holes inside. If you lift the ciabatta, you will be surprised at how light it is: this is because it is almost hollow and very dry. It is not possible to achieve such a result the first time, so it is not enough just to find a recipe for ciabatta in the oven - you also need to understand the peculiarities of its baking.

  • Kneading the dough after all components are mixed should not be less than 7 minutes. The optimal time is 10 minutes. In this case, it is advisable to knead with your hands, and not with attachments in a food processor. The principle is also special: spread your fingers and alternately use your palms to practically “compact” the dough so that with each press it releases air with a dull sound.
  • Flour for cibatta must have at least 11.5 g of protein (see BZHU on the package), otherwise little gluten will be produced and the desired structure will not be achieved.
  • A dense crust but a tender crumb is one of the important features of ciabatta, which is achieved by creating the correct humidity in the oven. After it has warmed up, you need to place a deep baking tray with boiling water on the lower level - you should not bake ciabatta without steam.
  • The airy structure is ensured not only by long kneading, but also by proper heating of the dough: ideally, bake ciabatta on a special baking stone 1.5-2 cm thick. In this case, each centimeter warms up for about half an hour, so the oven “idles” heats up for about an hour before the dough will be sent into it. Without such a stone, it will be more difficult to get the desired holes, although the situation can be partially saved by a large ceramic mold on which parchment with dough is placed.

To make ciabatta, you don’t need to look for a special form: translated from Italian, this bread is called “slipper” and each loaf has an individual look. The dough is simply folded several times to form a rectangle and baked - if there is deformation somewhere, this is absolutely normal. This is how real ciabatta should be.

Ciabatta recipe in the oven: original from an Italian chef

Italian cuisine is famous for its simplicity, so ciabatta is quite ascetic in its composition - it uses yeast, flour, salt and olive oil. The base liquid is often water, but some experts claim that milk produces a softer crumb: this option also exists in Italian cuisine. However, the classic recipe still contains water, and it is better to start mastering ciabatta with it.

Ingredients:

  • bread flour (with a high percentage of protein) – 560 g;
  • water – 440 g;
  • dry yeast – 1/2 tsp. + pinch;
  • salt – 1 tsp;
  • olive oil – 2 tbsp. l.

Cooking method:


As for the various quick recipes for ciabatta (in 2-3 hours), it is better to discard them immediately: the whole point of this bread is in the long proofing, which ensures the airiness of the crumb. You can’t achieve a similar effect in a couple of hours - it’s better to try making focaccia if you don’t have extra time.

Ciabatta is a delicious, rustic Italian bread baked in baguette form. It has a very thin crispy crust and a porous crumb, which when cut looks exactly like in the photo. Translated from Italian, the name of this product means “slipper,” which is consistent with the shape of the product.

Everyone, without exception, loves airy bread because it is quite filling. But do not forget that ciabatta, like any other bread, has a high calorie content. It cannot be otherwise, because ciabatta contains wheat (less often rye) flour, sourdough or yeast and olive oil, which ensures the airiness of the dough.

The recipe for this product has been passed down from generation to generation, so you can still taste real ciabatta to this day. And you don’t need to visit Italy for this, because the product has long spread throughout the world.

On the basis of this tender bread, hearty sandwiches, sandwiches and bruschetta are prepared, and using airy dough, tender and almost weightless buns for hamburgers and bouches are baked. Crackers made from a slightly dried loaf also have an amazing taste. They can be used both as an independent product and for preparing a light vegetable salad.

Supermarkets and hypermarkets that have a deli and their own bakery often offer Italian bread. The price of baguettes is quite reasonable, and in some retail chains you can even order home delivery of baked goods. You can also buy frozen semi-finished ciabatta products and a mixture for its preparation, which is a dry preparation containing gluten and enzymes.

Preparation

Making ciabatta is a simple but lengthy process. It is similar to baking traditional bread. Initially, it was prepared in stone ovens, but technological progress has made its own adjustments, and modern housewives no less successfully prepare the product in multicookers, bread machines and ovens.

The technology for preparing dough in modern conditions has not undergone any significant changes. It has become a kind of GOST standard. Real Italian bread is still made using the sponge method using yeast starter. The fermentation process of the dough lasts about twelve hours, but this is what allows the bread to be unlike all other baked goods.

Real ciabatta

We will tell you how to bake proper and tasty ciabatta at home in this section of the article.

The basis for obtaining high-quality real Italian bread is kneading. It can be done either manually or using dough mixing units. A separate place in the preparation of the product should be given to the correct spreading of the dough, so do not neglect the advice. Only if you follow the technology you will be able to get baked goods that are as close to the original as possible.

The main, one might say, classical method of kneading Italian bread is a method based on preparing dough with sequential kneading of dough. The Italians call it Bige. In our understanding, this method is the most suitable for obtaining high-quality baked goods.

To do this, you will need to knead the batter, which, after complete proofing, will need to be mixed with the bulk of the flour. To get bige you will need to mix:

  • 85 grams each of premium rye and wheat flour;
  • 140 ml warm water;
  • 4 grams of pressed fresh yeast.

The resulting liquid mass must be kept for an hour and a half at room temperature, and then placed in the refrigerator for 20 hours. It will turn out dark and have a malt aroma.

After the time has passed, add this mass to a bowl with four hundred grams of sifted flour, and then add more:

  • 210 ml water;
  • 70 ml milk;
  • 30 ml deodorized vegetable oil;
  • 10 grams of granulated sugar;
  • 25 grams of fresh yeast;
  • 14 grams of table salt.

It is recommended to dissolve bulk components in water, and yeast in milk. Knead the dough well and leave it to rise for another two hours in a warm place. After this, divide the workpiece into four equal parts and form oblong-shaped buns. Place the bread on parchment and let it rest for another 10 minutes. Baking the ciabatta should be done for 25 minutes at a temperature of 200 degrees Celsius and place the baking sheets in an already preheated oven.

When finished baking, remove the ciabatta from the sheets and cover with a damp linen or cotton towel. Let the product stand for 20 minutes and safely serve!

Quick ciabatta

Of course, the process is very long, and not all housewives will want to repeat it. Therefore, we invite you to familiarize yourself with the second recipe, which many chefs know as quick ciabatta.

So, let's study how to prepare ciabatta in the simplest, straight way. To get one large loaf of bread, mix in a deep bowl:

  • 430 grams of sifted premium wheat flour;
  • 330 ml cold water;
  • one teaspoon of salt;
  • 1 tablespoon of unscented olive or vegetable oil;
  • 1 packet of dry yeast.

Some chefs use ground dried herbs to add flavor and zest when kneading dough.

From this amount of products you will get a liquid dough, which will become denser as the flour separates.

Cover the bowl with cling film and wrap it with a towel. The product must remain in this state for at least six hours, whereas the minimum holding time for the mass in the previous recipe is fifteen hours.

After the dough has completely fermented, take it out onto a board dusted with a small amount of flour and begin to knead. A well-performed action allows you to squeeze out excess air from the dough and at the same time form the correct shape of the workpiece. To do this, the dough is leveled into a thin layer, and then they begin to fold it into an “envelope”, pressing it well against the table. By doing this manipulation, you will see the movement of air in the dough. Puncture very large bubbles carefully.

The moisture content of the dough plays an important role in preparing airy ciabatta. It is the loose “live” batch that creates large holes and a springy crumb in the finished product. To prevent the dough from sticking to your hands, grease them with a small amount of vegetable oil, but under no circumstances use flour for these purposes.

Once the dough piece is the size you want, carefully transfer it onto the parchment paper. After this, bake the ciabatta. In the oven, set the temperature to 180 degrees Celsius, and in other appliances, select the mode for standard yeast baking. In any case, the heat treatment time of the product should not exceed thirty minutes. Don't expect a golden brown crust - this bread won't have it. The readiness of the product can be judged by its other external signs: an increase in volume and drying out of the top layer of the product, and also by the delicious aroma that will fill your home.

In a similar way, you can bake ciabatta stuffed with fried onions. Pastries with olives and suluguni cheese will take pride of place on the table. This bread is best eaten warm immediately after cooking, while classic ciabatta will taste better cold.

Many housewives have long discovered making bread without yeast using whey with the addition of whole grain flour. They call it ciabatta integral. The consistency of this dough is very similar to both previous options, but the baked goods differ from the real product in their pronounced curd flavor and exceptional healthiness.

Whichever of the options for making ciabatta you choose to make with your own hands, in any case it will turn out perfect. If you still have questions, we invite you to watch a video recipe for step-by-step preparation of this wonderful bread.

What do you eat ciabatta with?

Traditionally, ciabatta is eaten by dipping thin slices in olive oil and then washed down with Italian wine. But here we use this bread along with other flour products and use it to prepare delicious cold and hot sandwiches, including mock pizza. A surprisingly simple but amazing dish can be made in a matter of minutes by adding a few slices of cheese and garlic to a bun cut lengthwise like shell flaps.

An equally tasty dish of their ready-made ciabatta can be obtained by filling a bun cut layer by layer into a “fan” from the base or crosswise from the top with soft cheese (preferably mozzarella) and juicy tomato slices. Between these products you need to place a few leaves of fragrant basil and parsley. For the proposed recipes, the preparation method is identical: the stuffed ciabatta then needs to be heated in the oven or microwave and served warm.

Slices of fresh ciabatta can be combined with bacon and ham, as well as fatty types of sea and ocean fish: tuna and salmon. And what a taste this tender bread gets, stuffed with pastrami, pickled cucumber and thickly seasoned with mustard sauce. This dish can be an excellent breakfast and satisfy the gastronomic needs of the most demanding gourmets!

Those who calculate the BJU index and calories will enjoy ciabatta served with grilled vegetables or tender boiled chicken breast.

Benefits and harms

The benefits and harms of ciabatta are determined by the chemical composition of the product and the general method of preparing this Italian pastry.

Italian bread contains all the components found in any baked product:

  • vitamins A and E;
  • folic acid and other B vitamins;
  • amino acids;
  • magnesium;
  • potassium;
  • phosphorus;
  • selenium;
  • zinc.

Due to the fact that real ciabatta has a long cooking time, such bread will be easy for digestion. It is worth noting that it is completely harmless, since the yeast in it completely decomposes. That is why this product should be preferred instead of traditional bread. Eating ciabatta has a beneficial effect on gastric motility. The product is recommended for people suffering from stomach ulcers and other gastrointestinal inflammations, as well as those who are susceptible to frequent colds due to reduced immunity. People suffering from kidney disease and excretory system disorders should limit the amount of ciabatta eaten. Eating large quantities of this soft bread by people suffering from gout can be harmful.

The main contraindication to eating ciabatta, which should be voiced, is individual intolerance to the ingredients of the product.

Ciabatta is a real work of art. She is light and flawless, you can’t help but love her. Try making delicious, tender bread using our recipes. We assure you that when you eat ciabatta, you will instantly be transported to a bizarrely shaped peninsula to the shores of warm and gentle seas.

Incredibly aromatic and tasty crispy ciabatta recipe in the oven allows you to prepare Italian bread at home. The loaf is made from wheat flour and olive oil, yeast or wheat sourdough. As for additional ingredients, the bread can include herbs, cheese, olives, milk, cream. According to the classic recipe, ciabatta is baked in a stone oven from dough that has been left to rest for at least 12 hours.

Italian bread served withupam, hot dishes and salads. It is great for making sandwiches and the popular bruschetta. Ciabatta goes perfectly with tomatoes, ham, cheese and wine. It is low in calories. Therefore, it can be classified as a dietary product. But you still shouldn’t overuse even healthy baked goods. Any food, even the most delicious, should be in moderation.

Making Italian bread is very simple. But there are some tricks that need to be followed. Otherwise, the result will leave much to be desired. In Italy there are many methods and techniques for making bread. Therefore, it is better to try several recipes to choose the best option for yourself.

What you need to consider to make a delicious ciabatta recipe in the oven at home:

  • The starter is prepared the day before baking. It should ferment well at room temperature. As a rule, the process takes at least 4-12 hours.
  • The finished starter can be stored for up to 96 hours. Therefore, you can prepare it in advance so that you can treat yourself to delicious homemade cakes on the weekend!
  • The flour must be sifted twice. In this case, the crumb will be porous and airy;
  • The ciabatta dough should be liquid. Its consistency resembles thick oatmeal. The dough should not drip off the spoon. At the same time, it must be liquid enough for kneading;
  • The kneaded dough should rest for 6 to 24 hours. As a rule, overnight is enough for proofing. But if you want an ideal result, then leave the bread for a day;
  • It is better to knead the dough in a mixer. It must be plastic and homogeneous;
  • When forming the product, the dough is not crumpled, but folded.

Wheat flour is used to make bread. You can take whole grain. In this case, the bread will be more healthy and dietary. The basic recipe is prepared from a minimum set of ingredients. Various additives are not included in it. If desired, it can be improved by adding spices, cheese, and garlic.

The crumb is unevenly porous, and the crust is crispy. This is the hallmark of Italian bread.

Ingredients:

  • Wheat flour – 430 grams;
  • Yeast – 1 gram. It is better to use live or fast-acting yeast. They are added directly to the flour;
  • Water – 330 ml;
  • Salt – 1 teaspoon.

Cooking method:

  1. Sift flour into a bowl, add yeast and salt. Mix the mixture carefully;
  2. We make a hole in the middle and pour water into it;
  3. Quickly knead the dough. You can do this with a regular spoon. There is no need to stir for a long time;
  4. Cover the bowl with cling film, in which we make punctures. This is necessary so that the base can breathe;
  5. Keep the base at room temperature for 12-15 hours;
  6. Sprinkle the table generously with flour, place the base there and begin folding it;
  7. You can fold it in an envelope. You can simply fold the edges towards the center, and then repeat the procedure with the sides. The result should be a rectangle;
  8. We divide the workpiece into two parts;
  9. We take parchment paper, sprinkle it well with dough, and lay out our preparations. We support the edges of the paper with a towel, which will hold its shape and prevent it from spreading;
  10. Let the workpieces stand for about an hour;
  11. Then place them in a preheated oven;
  12. Cook bread at a temperature of 220 degrees;
  13. Steam the bun for the first 10 minutes. Place a container of water on the bottom of the oven;
  14. Then remove the steam and cook the bread for another 20-25 minutes. The bun should rise and brown;
  15. Cool the baked goods on a wire rack, let them rest for 20 minutes and are ready to serve!

Delicate Italian bread with cheese filling is an excellent independent dish. It can be eaten for breakfast with tea or coffee. You can use any cheese. It is better to use hard or pickled cheeses. In the latter case, the taste will be more delicate.

Ingredients:

  • Whole grain flour – 250 grams;
  • Pressed dry yeast – 10 grams;
  • Hard cheese – 100 grams;
  • Water – 250 grams;
  • Salt – 1 teaspoon;
  • Sugar – 1/3 teaspoon.

Cooking method:

  1. Heat the water a little in the microwave. It should be about 40 degrees. Dissolve the yeast in it. Add salt and sugar;
  2. Leave the yeast in a warm place for 10-15 minutes;
  3. Sift the flour into the water and mix the base with a spoon;
  4. Cover the bowl with a towel and leave warm for 4 hours;
  5. Sprinkle the table well with flour and pour the dough onto it. Roll the base into a square, then stretch it a little into a rectangle shape and leave for another hour;
  6. Grate the cheese on a coarse grater and place it in the middle of the base;
  7. Fold the edges of the workpiece so that the filling is inside the bun;
  8. Place the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and cook for 40 minutes at 200 degrees;
  9. Cool the bread under a towel and serve!

Olive oil contains polyunsaturated fatty acids. Therefore, it is recommended to eat it regularly. Unlike regular sunflower oil, olive oil is very aromatic and has a delicate taste. It adds a pleasant flavor to baked goods and makes them truly Italian!

Olive oil bread is ideal for making snacks and sandwiches. It turns out moist inside.

Ingredients:

  • Wheat flour – 400 grams;
  • Olive oil – 2 tablespoons;
  • Water – 250 milliliters;
  • Salt – ½ teaspoon;
  • Fresh yeast – 7 grams.

Cooking method:

  1. First we prepare the starter. To do this, sift the flour into a bowl 2 times, then add yeast and water to it. We use exactly half of the flour and water;
  2. Gently mix the base, cover with cling film and keep at room temperature for about 24 hours;
  3. Sift the remaining flour into the starter, add water, salt and olive oil. Knead the dough and leave it for another couple of hours under a towel;
  4. Sprinkle the table with flour and place the base on it. Divide the dough into 3-4 equal parts and begin folding it into a square shape. We pull out the blanks and place them on a towel sprinkled with flour;
  5. Cover the top of the workpiece with a second towel and leave for another 45 minutes;
  6. Place the pieces on parchment paper and let them cook for 25 minutes at 220 degrees. The walls of the oven can be sprayed with water. In this case, you will be able to create steam, and the bread will turn out more airy.

As you have already understood, the recipe for ciabatta in the oven at home is quite simple. You just need to let the dough sit. You can do this at night. To pamper your loved ones and loved ones with fragrant pastries in the morning. Homemade bread is very tasty. But you need to cook it more. After all, the whole family will gather for the aroma of fresh baked goods!