Ciabatta Bread – Fresh baked rustic loaf that’s airy and delicious. Italian ciabatta is perfect for sandwiches or in the bread basket at dinner. This easy recipe bakes up beautiful Artisan style bread.
Sandwich lovers, rejoice! This Italian ciabatta bread is awesome. Slap it high with lunch meat or chicken salad. Add tomato and lettuce and you’ve got yourself a downright amazing sandwich.
Slice it in half lengthwise and use a loaf to make several paninis. Have I told you lately….that I love you. Oh wait that’s a song. I’m trying say, besides the fact that I do love you ….is that I love paninis. Me and paninis were going steady for lunch dates for quite some time.
We usually break up when I’m out of a good bread. And then we get right back to it again. This time of year is my favorite though. Because my ultimate favorite panini is tomato mozzarella. It’s the perfect amount of cheesiness with the right bite of tomato. I’m in love!
Hubby bought me this Panini Pan
For me there’s just something about homemade bread. It’s the flavor. It’s the structure. It’s the smell. It’s really the whole package. And I absolutely love the fact that I get to create it with my own hands in the kitchen.
My hope today is that I’ve inspired you to take a leap into the wonderful pleasing world of bread baking. I’ll think you’ll love it!
Til we meet and eat again,
FOLLOW ALONG : Gather for Bread
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Ciabatta Bread
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cool water 12 ounces
- 3 1/2 cups bread flour 14 3/4 ounces
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Instructions
- Combine water, 2 cups of bread flour and 1 teaspoon of yeast in a medium bowl. Stir until dough comes to a shaggy ball. Cover and let sit for several hours or overnight.
- Add remaining 1 1/2 cups of bread flour, yeast and salt. Mix until dough comes together. Dough will be very sticky and loose. Don't add additional flour. Place in a floured bowl and let rise for one hour. Deflate gently. Let rise for another hour. Place on a well floured work surface. Sprinkle top with flour. Flatten to an 8" x 10" rectangle. Divide in half so that you have 2 - 4"x 10" pieces. Transfer to a sheet of parchement. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and let rise for 2 hours. Dough will be puffy.
- Meanwhile, during rise place baking stone in oven and preheat to 500 degrees. Oven should be preheated 30 minutes prior to baking. Mist dough lightly with water. Slide dough on parchment into oven onto stone and reduce temperature to 425 degrees. Bake ciabatta until golden brown (about 22-25 minutes).
- Turn off oven. Move ciabatta to oven rack and cool in oven with door open 2" until completely cool.
Recipe from: King Arthur Flour
I JUST started making yeast baked goods, and ciabatta was on my to-try list. It is my favorite kind of bread in restaurants, and I can’t wait to try (AND EAT) this at home! Pinned!
Ooo! I love panini sandwiches. Definitely have to make this!
This ciabatta bread sounds amazing, Melanie! I love how easy this is to prepare. Definitely wouldn’t last long in my house!
I love ciabatta and still haven’t tried making it yet. Totally agree, nothing beats homemade bread and I can just imagine how wonderful your house smelled while this was baking up – yum!
Can I be the third wheel on your lunch dates? Because ciabatta is where it is all at for sandwiches! I can only imagine how lovely your kitchen must’ve smelled. Happy weekend Melanie!
Never made ciabatta before but I love it eating.. I have no idea what makes it different to normal home made bread but it is always so much more delicious. Great recipe!
Homemade bread is one of the best things in life! These would make amazing sandwiches. Beautiful pictures too!
Your ciabatta looks perfect, Melanie … I’m impressed! And I agree that ciabatta makes perfect panninis. I love making them on a Sunday evening!
Cibatta bread is one of my favorites! I could not have imagined making it at home, but I just might have to try!
That looks like PERFECT panini bread right there! Gorgeous! Love it, Melanie 😉
What is the baking stone for? I don’t have it, what should I do? Can I don’t use it?
Sorry for the late response. I’m out of town all week.
The baking stone is used to create a very hot surface on which to bake the bread. I use this for pizza and other breads as well. It gives the bread a crisper crust, closer to what you’d find in a bakery.
If you don’t have one you can bake it on any baking sheet or an upside down pizza pan. The outside will just be less crusty and softer to the touch.
Good luck! Let me know how it goes.