Homemade Ciabatta Bread

Today I want to share with you a recipe that’s changed my life over the last week. Every Friday, Stephen and I gleefully dance on into Wegmans and pick up bakery bread to make The LOVER Sandwich (yes, we still eat that one almost weekly!) or my all-time favorite, the Caprese Sandwich. Lately, we’ve been crushing on soft, pillowy ciabatta. But the $4.50 price tag shocks me every time. I knew I could make this bread from home, I just wasn’t sure how easy it would be.

Enter my beloved Martha Stewart Baking Handbook, which has taught me how to make everything from homemade bagels to pizza dough to cookies to cakes and more. The ciabatta bread is actually a variation of Martha’s foccacia recipe. I’ve made it enough times now that I’m happy to share some extended notes on mixing and baking so you guys can make bubbly ciabatta bread at home tonight!

CIABATTA BREAD

What you’ll need . . . 

• 3-1/2 cups bread flour
• 1/2 teaspoon dry active yeast
• 1-1/2 cups warm water + a couple tablespoons
• Extra flour
• 1 teaspoon salt

Method . . . 

1. In an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine 3 cups of the flour with the water and yeast. You want to create a sponge, so the dough should basically be wet but not soupy -- see photo below. Add the last 1/2 cup flour (or more) until you reach that consistency.
2. Cover and let rise for 1 hour uninterrupted.
3. Then add in the salt and possibly a bit more flour for kneading. The book suggests using the dough hook for this part, but I used a silicone spatula to knead my dough with a bit of flour inside the bowl for 3-5 minutes.
4. Then cover and let rise for two hours. 
5. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Place a baking stone on the bottom. 
6. Generously flour a work surface and pour/scoop your dough out onto it, paying carful attention not to knead and compromise any of those bubbles.
7. Cut dough in half or thirds so you can fashion two or three generous loaves with your hands. Coat with a light dusting of flour on all sides and let rest for another 10 minutes or so while you wait for your oven to preheat.
8. If you have a peel, you can transfer the dough onto the stone with it. I don’t, so I just used a floured unrhymed baking sheet. Get that dough onto the stone ASAP and close the oven door. Set your timer for 20-30 minutes.
9. Bread is done baking when it is lightly brown and the bottom -- when tapped -- sounds hollow. For me, this has generally been around 25 minutes.
10. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Notes

• This recipe makes two generous loaves. I estimate they are slightly smaller than the ones we buy at Wegmans, so they’d probably cost like $6.50 or $7 together in all. Yet with the flour required and negligible yeast, I’m thinking at home the price is around $1. 
• Play with the salt ratio to suit your tastes. I like my bread saltier, but you might not.
• It’s important you let it rise the full two hours after the initial because it will turn out rather flat otherwise -- not great for slicing.
• You can also use this recipe for pizza dough! Just divide into two and then lay out flat on your stone and top with toppings. Bake using the broil method like I outline in this post for best results.
• The bread will last 2-3 days when wrapped at room temperature. 
• I haven’t tried freezing, but will report back on that sometime soon!
• Martha has a few other ciabatta recipes worth checking out.

And if you like this recipe, check out why you should stop buying sliced bread at the store and make your own instead. It may seem like there are lots of steps involved, but after you get the hang of a few key recipes, you’ll never want to look back -- I promise!

Bakery Style Breads, Etc.

• Red Quinoa Bread
• White + White Wheat No-Knead
• Crusty Tuscan Herb Loaf
• Beautiful Sourdough Bread
• Simple Olive Oil Loaf
• No-Knead Chocolate + Walnut Loaf
• White + WW Baguettes
• Buckwheat Mustard Loaf
• Honey Whole Wheat Flax Loaf
• Cinnamon Swirl Loaf
• Rosemary Salt Bread
• Vegan Challah Bread
• Homemade Tortillas
• Awesome Homemade Bagels

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Honey Whole Wheat + Flax Loaf

I'm trying to move beyond my obsession with Wegmans bakery breads. Even though we've switched grocery stores, I always wind my way there when we're out and about running errands. I inevitably return home with a $5 loaf of seedy bread that's gone in two seconds flat. But of all the home "chef" disciplines I enjoy most, I love baking.

So, there's no excuse -- I needed to create my own loaf.

HONEY WHOLE WHEAT + FLAX LOAF
Vegan? No worries. Use maple syrup in place of the honey.

What you'll need . . . 

• 1-1/3 cups warm water (wrist temperature)
• 1-1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt (I used pink sea salt)
• 1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup unbleached bread flour
• 1/2 cup flax meal
• 1/4 cup sunflower kernels -- optional
• 1/4 cup raisins -- optional

Method . . . 

1. In a small bowl, dissolve the honey or maple syrup in the warm water. Then add the yeast and stir. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, until bubbly (proofed).
2. In a large bowl, mix together your salt, flours, flax meal, sunflower kernels, and raisins. I used my hands.
3. Then pour the olive oil into your yeast mixture and pour the entire wet mixture into the center of the flour mixture. Mix around with a spoon until the dough forms.
4. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of your bread flour mixture -- slowly, a little at a time -- as you knead with your hands for a few minutes. Maybe 5 or so. (By using bread flour in this mixture, you should ensure the gluten production is good, but you still want to make sure it's well incorporated.)
5. Then drizzle your bowl with a little olive oil and place your dough inside -- covered with a damp tea towel -- for 1-1/2 hours.
6. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a standard loaf pan with olive oil. Punch down dough and place it in your loaf pan -- covered again -- for another 30 minutes or so.
7. Then remove cover and bake for 30-40 minutes. Until bread sounds hollow and a toothpick or knife comes out clean.
8. Let cool for a few minutes before placing on a cooling rack. Slice and spread with Earth Balance or butter.

// PROCESS


Now, if you like bread -- you're in luck! I'll also be writing soon about my return to making homemade sourdough bread + other goods. My starter is on day 3 of steeping via this organic grapes method. It already seems way more fragrant and fermented than when I used store-bought yeast as the agent.

Do you regularly make your own bread? What's your favorite recipe?

Like what you just read? Browse more of our posts + recipes on Pinterest. You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

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Chocolate Loaf

Not much talk of exercise on this blog lately, which is funny because I'm doing all sorts of things with cross-training and strength while getting in a steady 25-30 miles a week. I ran a frigid 10-miler with my friend Ariana on Sunday. Gusts of 30MPH blew against us for probably 3/4 of the way.

I'll have a running post for you tomorrow -- promise.

Today, we'll eat cake.

Technically I'm calling this recipe a chocolate loaf because I baked it in -- you guessed it -- a loaf pan. It's really just a nice, dense chocolate cake that you can slice and top with peanut butter or whatever else you like to spread on sweet breads.

CHOCOLATE LOAF
vegan recipe, don't skip the coconut milk

What you'll need . . .

• 1 cup wheat flour
• 1 cup unbleached white flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup organic sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 can full fat coconut milk
• 6 tablespoons Earth Balance
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method . . . 

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a loaf pan, 9" x 5", with Earth Balance and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients -- flours, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. On the stove, heat a small pot over medium-low heat and melt the Earth Balance and coconut milk together. Let cool until warm, not hot.
4. Pour the wet mixture -- including the vanilla extract -- into the dry and mix until incorporated fully.
5. Pour into the loaf pan and bake for 45 to 55 minutes. Until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out mostly clean.
6. Let cool a while before removing from loaf pan and placing onto a drying rack.
7. Let cool entirely before slicing. Or not. It will just fall apart more if you don't wait.

I bet Elvis would have enjoyed this "bread" with some honey-glazed bacon on top.

I enjoyed mine straight out of the oven (no, I didn't wait for it to cool -- but do as I say, not as I do!) with peanut butter and sliced banana. I'm going to toast some later and spread some coconut butter on it. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Prediction: Incredible.

You can read about why we switched Ada from hemp milk to organic whole milk on Writing Chapter Three. Even if you don't have kids, you might be surprised at the not-so-friendly ingredient that's hiding in your favorite organic products.

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White-Whole Wheat No-Knead Loaf

Before we get to the bread, I'm happy to announce that we have FINALLY published our text-only Recipe Index. You can browse by recipe type without having to go to Flickr and then return back to our site. It's SO MUCH EASIER to use . . . even WE're benefiting from being able to find our favorite recipes fast. Please be patient while we input the dietary information (mostly just noting if a recipe is vegan).

However, it's important to note that all recipes are vegetarian. Most baked goods are vegan, even if their title doesn't suggest so. And in many of our recipes, we provide vegan substitutions if they aren't already free of dairy, etc.

So, please check out the new Recipe Index (it's also in the tabs at the top of the page). And please let us know what you think.


Bread baking is something I am planning to do a whole lot more of as I get more time after marathon training. I'm getting closer to perfecting the crust on crusty no-knead breads. The trick is truly waiting for 18 (or a full 24) hours before touching the dough. It's difficult to wait . . . but to help, I usually mix everything together before bed. That way, there's at least 8 hours where it's untouched. Then, I'm so busy getting ready for work in the morning that another 9 hours goes by . . . when I return home, I run . . . so, another hour.

So, if you are as inpatient as I am, give my method a try. This recipe yields a large (or two small) white-whole wheat loaves perfect for anything from toasting in the morning to dunking into chili at night. I've had several people ask if a cast iron dutch oven is necessary. It's not, however you will need a covered pot of cast iron (or glass/Pyrex, etc.) to create the ideal hot and humid baking conditions. The conditions necessary for the best bakery-esque crust.

The dutch oven I have is pictured in the first no-knead recipe I posted back last winter. Mine is cast iron and actually a half the size of the the standard, but it works wonderfully. Use what you have. Consider investing later if you find you just love making bread.


WHITE-WHOLE WHEAT NO-KNEAD LOAF

What you'll need . . .

• 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 1-1/2 cups warm water
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 cups unbleached bread flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt

Method . . .

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. I simply let mine sit for five minutes, then whisked lightly.
2. Add in the flours and salt. Stir or lightly knead with you hands (though, the dough will be very sticky).
3. Then, cover the bowl with a piece of plastic wrap and let rise for 18 to 24 hours. The longer the better. I put the bowl in our microwave and waited about 20 hours before going on.
4. After you've finished waiting . . . lightly flour a clean work surface and scrape the dough out onto it. Gently knead and shape into a ball (if you're using a small dutch oven, you can divide the dough into 2 and shape into 2 balls -- that's what I did).
5. Then put the dough (seam side down) on a baking sheet dusted with more flour (or cornmeal works best -- I didn't have any). Cover with a piece of lightly oiled plastic wrap and let rise for between 1 to 2 hours. (You'll know it's ready when the ball has doubled in size.)
6. Preheat your oven to 475 degrees F with you dutch oven in there, preheating as well. When it's ready, use you pot holders (one time, I honestly forgot an burned my hand!) to take the dutch oven out . . . and then toss in your loaf.
7. Cover. Return to oven. And bake for 30 minutes. If you are using a smaller dutch oven and make two loaves, simply repeat this process. Let loaves cool on a wire rack.

(An anonymous commenter has requested we credit Jim Lachey, Sullivan Street Bakery, for his original recipe [the one that appeared in the NY Times several years ago]. Though our version wasn't conscious copied, instead -- acquired [and then tinkered with] during the whole blog world recipe explosion that resulted out of his genius -- the no-knead method was crafted by him.)


This bread is wonderful straight out of the oven. The crust is incredible. If you wait overnight, the crust will soften, but then get its crisp back if you toast it. I recommend topping with some homemade peanut butter.

D.I.V.I.N.E.



Have you ever baked a no-knead loaf? Or do you regularly bake your own breads? We'd love tips and/or your favorite recipes. Of all cooking/baking processes, making bread is my favorite. Not only because I love to eat bread, but also because I'm continually surprised by how my loaves turn out. Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.

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Rosemary-Salt Loaves

My favorite store-bought bread is the rosemary-salt loaf at Wegmans. It's perfectly browned with a fantastically crusty crust. Wonderful for sandwiches and just plain snacking. But it's make with white flour. There's a ton of salt in it (yes, though it's called rosemary-SALT bread, I still don't think this is a great thing). And it's expensive. So, like I do with so many other favorites of mine, I set out to create a replica loaf . . . or at least a healthier near-cousin.

Baking bread is probably the activity I find most rewarding in the kitchen. It's definitely an exact science, something you must do carefully and thoughtfully. The result is incredible more times than not. I've amazed myself many times with what I've made. And this recipe is no exception.

We used our bread for tomato-mozzarella sandwiches. I even sliced some pieces to toast for a breakfast PB&J (plus bananas). Despite what you may think about combining rosemary with those flavors . . . it was certainly something I'll do again.


ROSEMARY-SALT LOAVES

What you'll need . . .

• 2 cups water, room temperature
• 2-1/2 cups bread flour
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• More flour for dusting
• 1 ounce active dry yeast
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for bowl and plastic wrap
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt
• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
• Cornmeal, for dusting

Method . . .

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the water, flour, yeast, and olive oil. Set your paddle attachment to low speed and mix until the ingredients are JUST incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place (my mother-in-law suggested sticking it in the cool oven, which is warmer than most places in the house) until doubled in bulk -- about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
2. Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add the salt and rosemary . . . and mix to combine on low speed. Raise the speed to medium, and beat until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, but is still sticky (about 2 minutes).
3. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it for approx. 1 minute. Then transfer the dough to a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until, again, doubled in bulk (about 1 hour)
4. Return the dough to a lightly floured surface and split into two balls. Roll out to be flat, ciabatta-looking loaves. Cover with the oiled plastic wrap, and let rest for about 15 minutes.
5. Transfer the loaves to a wooden peel (or cutting board) dusted lightly with cornmeal, and drape with the oiled plastic wrap. Let rest until slightly puffed: 30 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, place a baking stone on the bottom oven rack and preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
7. Make slashes on the top of the loaves with a knife. Lift the stone from the bottom of your oven to the middle rack. Slide one loaf onto the stone (I just picked the dough up and quickly transferred it).
8. Bake until the crust is a dark, golden brown (about 25 minutes). Please bread on wire rack to cool before slicing.
9. Repeat with other loaf.

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No-Knead Chocolate-Walnut Bread

I like cooking and baking pretty much equally. There's just something about baking, though. I mean, it's almost magical. It certainly requires some attention to detail and patience. And, unlike with most of what I cook, I can't as easily substitute ingredients and expect fantastic results. Not without practice, at least.

However, I decided to put the substitution thing to the test this weekend. And what I made didn't just turn out -- it quickly became a new family favorite. I hope you'll like it, too.


This chocolate-walnut bread isn't sweet. In fact, it goes well with just about anything (including the balsamic-drizzled heirloom tomato and mozzarella salad we paired it with -- recipe below). The walnuts get this fantastic roasted flavor . . . and the crust is bakery quality, for sure! It's a modified version of the recipe I posted a while back for the No-Knead Tuscan Garlic Loaf.

And If you've been reading (never home)maker long enough, you'll remember that to make this recipe -- you'll patience. It isn't for those of you who need instant gratification. The dough rises for 18 to 24 hours. Then a quick punch-down. Rise again another 2 hours. Then bake 30 minutes. Then another 15 to 30 minutes.


NO-KNEAD CHOCOLATE-WALNUT BREAD

What you'll need . . .

• 3 cups unbleached white bread flour (I used King Arthur)
• 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon natural sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon instant or other active dry yeast
• 1 cup cool (55 to 65 degrees) water
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• Handfull (or two) raw walnuts
• Cornmeal or additional flour for dusting

Method . . . (lots of steps, none of them difficult)

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the flours, salt, cocoa powder, sugar, and yeast. Make an impression in the middle of the dry ingredients, almost like a little bowl.
2. Pour the water and canola oil into the impression you just made. Using a wooden spoon or your hands, mix until you have a wet, sticky dough, adding a bit more water if necessary.
3. Gently fold the walnuts into the dough.
4. Cover the bowl with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature until the surface is dotted with bubbles and the dough is more than doubled in size, 18 to 24 hours.
5. When the first rise is complete, generously dust a work surface with flour. Use a bowl scraper or rubber spatula to scrape the dough out of the bowl in one piece.
6. Using lightly floured hands or a bowl scraper or spatula, lift the edges of the dough in toward the center. Tuck the edges of the dough under to make it round.
7. Dust a cookie sheet with cornmeal. Gently place the dough on the cookie sheet, seam side down.
8. Dust the top lightly with cornmeal. Place another lightly oiled piece of plastic wrap over the loaf-in-progress. Then let rest in a warm, draft-free spot for just about 2 hours.
9. Position one of your oven racks so that your dutch oven will be centered in the oven, and preheat it to 475 degrees F.
10. Place a covered 4-1/2 to 5-1/2 quart cast-iron dutch oven in the center of the rack. Let fully preheat.
11. Carefully remove the preheated pot from the oven and uncover it. Gently invert the dough into the pot, seam side up. Cover the pot and bake for 30 minutes.
12. Remove the lid and continue baking until the loaf is a deep chestnut color -- but not burned -- 15 to 30 minutes. Use a heatproof spatula to carefully lift the loaf out of the pot and place it on a rack to cool thoroughly before slicing.

TOMATO-MOZZ SALAD

To make the heirloom and mozzarella salad (for two), simply slice an heirloom tomato and a ball of fresh mozzarella. Pile them like you see in the photo. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Add a pinch of salt and garlic powder. This recipe is perfect for summer. And it looks fancy, too!



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Red Quinoa Bread

Stephen and I are in love with red quinoa. We've been eating it with every meal -- and when we had the opportunity to get some more this weekend (we can't find it where we live, so we had to trek to Greenstar in Ithaca, NY) . . . we stocked up on it. Big time. In fact, we have so much, we hardly know what to do with it all.


But then I got the idea to make (protein-packed) bread with it. After all, we've been buying far less bread during our grocery trips -- we thought it might be nice to have some around for a change. You may wonder -- why RED quinoa versus white? There's really no different in the nutrition. It's just flavor. Red quinoa has an earthier flavor, I guess is the best way to describe it. So, if you're not a fan, just use your favorite of the two grains in the bread (there's also black quinoa, but I've never seen it in stores).


I also wanted to create a recipe that could use some of the premium agave nectar the kind folks at Xagave sent me to take for a spin. Though I didn't use it in a raw recipe, the agave is both raw and organic (produced at a temperature less than 118F). Now, I know we've had some discussions on the blog about whether or not agave is a good way to go. If you're interested in checking out more -- the "truth" about agave, check out this page for more information.


They even put a handy chart on their bottles with exchange information for cooking, baking, etc. -- as well as how many calories you're saving in the switch. I think that's kind of cool.


RED QUINOA BREAD

What you'll need . . .

• 1 cup raw quinoa (we used red quinoa, but any kind will do)
• 2 cups of water
• 1/2 cup raw walnuts, chopped
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 3/4 cup water, wrist temperature
• 1/3 cup agave nectar (again, we used Xagave)
• 1/4 cup sunflower oil (or canola)
• 2 tablespoons flax meal
• 3 tablespoons grainy mustard
• 2 cups unbleached white bread flour
• 1 cup whole wheat bread flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Method . . .

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the 2 cups of water with the red quinoa. Cook over medium to high heat -- stirring as necessary -- for between 10 and 15 minutes. It's "done" when all the water is absorbed. Set aside to cool.
2. Whisk together your 3/4 cup warm water with the yeast (I did this in the bowl of an electric mixer). Let sit until frothy -- about 5 minutes.
3. Add the agave, oil, flax meal, and mustard to the yeast mixture and stir to combine.
4. Using a dough hook, stir in 1 cup of the unbleached white bread flour. Add the salt, too.
5. Now add the quinoa and walnuts. Continue stirring until well combined.
6. Now add the whole wheat bread flour and the other cup of the white bread flour. Continue mixing with your dough hook for about 5 minutes. You may wish to just knead yourself on a lightly floured work surface.
7. Dough is "ready" when it is smooth and elastic. So work in more flour if it's sticky. Add water if it's dry.
8. Lightly oil a large bowl and place the dough inside. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel for 2 hours -- until doubled in bulk.
9. Then oil a large loaf pan. Shape the dough into an oval, smoothing the top, and place inside the pan. Cover with your plastic wrap and let rise again for 1 hour.
10. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place a pie pan with an inch or so of water in it at the bottom of your oven when you're ready to place your loaf inside.
11. Bake for 30 minutes -- routinely checking to see if the top is browning too much -- and then cover with tin foil and bake for another 15 (or so) minutes until the loaf is done.
12. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes . . . and then remove to let cool completely on a wire rack.

Bread should stay fresh for up to 4 days if sealed in an air-tight container (we put ours in a freezer bag and popped it into the fridge. Top with anything you like. The mustard makes the bread better for more savory toppings -- and we absolutely heart this red pepper jelly (thanks for telling us about it, Nancy!).



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