I've been lurking here for awhile...

[Ecumenist]

But I can't resist it anymore. I love to cook and collect recipes in many different cuisines in the same way as others collect knick-knacks. I just wanted to ask if anyone has a good recipe for Ciabatta. I have a biga and I've been baking loaves for my poor husband, (he loves it but he tells me that this has been a bit hard on his diet, LOL!!), but I've not been happy with the crumb or texture. I would really apreciate it if someone has a good AUTHENTIC or near as pissible to authentic recipe.

[wildeyed]

1. Why lurk?

Jump right in, the water's fine!

I have no idea what you are talking about, other than it involves bread, but I am sure someone here will :hi:

[Ecumenist]

2. Hiya, friend,

I tend to observe situations before I jump and my husband, until recently, used my laptop ALOT which kept me from using it at my leisure. Ciabatta is a italian sourdough, (not as sour as french). I sure hope that someone has a good recipe,it a fabulous bread made with, among other things, Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Great for making sandwiches. I'm glad to be here...FINALLY...

[politicat]

3. There's an excellent recipe in Baking Illustrated

(The baking book put out by Cooks' Illustrated.)

I tried it when I had the book checked out from the library, and it was better than the ones we buy from Costco, but the dough is really soft and sticky, and takes about 36 hours (at least in this house, at the temps I keep the house). It's very messy because the dough is so loose (and has to be to get that texture) and I didn't write the recipe down. For me, it's just easier to hit Costco a couple times a month.

[Ecumenist]

4. thanks Politicat

I know it's sticky and luckily, it doesn't take 36 hours here(northern California), for it rise BUT I really don't like the crumb, it's too fine and doesn't have the large rustic texture I love... It's is a Messy thing to behold but the outcome is well worth it. Have you made it? And did you use a biga or sponge to start it?

[politicat]

6. Urgh.... trolling the depths of my memory....

I used a biga to start it. I followed the recipe in Baking Illustrated very precisely, except that, because I live at 6000 feet, I lowered the yeast by a half teaspoon.

I really liked the results from the BI recipe, but I can't justify the counterspace, the time and the risk of forgetting the biga - all too real a possibility when I'm having a bad week - and having it demand voting rights and free rent. The crumb and texture were fabulous - even my "it's not really bread unless it tastes like Holsum" husband liked it. (I could kill his mother for raising him on Roman Meal and Wonder bread....)

[Ecumenist]

9. Oh my God....

Wonder bread??? Po' thang. I work at home and bake bread every other day, average. I'll have to invest in a Baking Illustrated to please my big Bohemian baby. Funnily enough, I don't particularly care for bread... As we speak, I've got a ovenful of poppy seed Beigli and will probably put up some Dobos Torte for this weekend.
EEK!!! <<<6000 FEET???>>> Are you in Colorado?

[politicat]

12. Yep - just outside of Boulder.

He's getting better. I can make oatmeal bread, wheat bran bread or barley bread - he just really is reluctant to like whole wheat and prefers it in the traditional English loaf shape to rustic shapes.

I have a loaf of our standard (part oatmeal, part barley, part unbleached wheat) rising right now.

I work at home, too (right now, however, I'm on medical leave) so I make bread 3 or 4 times a week.

As for the altitude, other than re-learning how to bake, I love it here. If we could just get the Colorado Springs fruitcakes to just move to an actual Red state, it would be perfect.

[Ecumenist]

13. I heard about Colorado Springs

My husband was stationed in Denver with the Air Force in '86 and apparently, it was an "interesting" place then. Otherwise, he absolutely loved it there, next to northern California, that is. He adores Mendocino and the Lost Coast area..

[Stinky The Clown]

5. Welcome to Cooking and Baking!

You'll have to hope our dear Housewolf gets in soon. She's our resident baking guru and what she doesn't know about bread baking isn't worth knowing.

We have fun here and no politics allowed. It is just laffs and comraderie.

And I promise not to mention your hilarious typo ..... "near as pissible to authentic recipe"

[wildeyed]

7. ......

:spank:

[Shakespeare]

8. Our hilarious typos are what bind us together down here!

Speaking of, where the hell is Old Leftie Lawyer???

[Ecumenist]

10. Oops.....silly:

Been up since 2:00 am... I've cracked up many a time reading your posts. I consider myself honoured to have this small interchange with you...:hi:

[Wordie]

11. Welcome to DU, Ecumenist!

:hi:

(a somewhat belated greeting, if you've been lurking for a while)

I'm the same way about collecting recipes, and especially those from other cultures.. I've got an online program, MasterCook, and I've been trying to put the disorganzied collection of recipes I've picked up over the years into digital form. It could easily be an unending task, I've got so many of them now. But somehow I find fussing over recipes to be an extraordinarily relaxing activity, so that's ok with me.

I'm not a baker though, so I don't have any personal recipe to offer on ciabatta, which is my favorite too. Your post has made me think about trying it. I'm going to be checking back here myself to see what's posted to this thread. In the meantime, I did locate these:

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,174,132179-250192,00.html

http://www.internationalrecipesonline.com/recipes/view.pl?3582

[Ecumenist]

14. Thank you Wordie

Right proud to be here, so to speak. Ciabatta is well worth the work but it's wet, sticky mess to knead and work with.. I have to fight myself not to add more flour to it but it ain't easy, let me tell you

[wryter2000]

15. Welcome

C&B is the place to be!

[Ecumenist]

19. Yes, indeed....

It's a lovely place :toast: Thank you for the warm welcome!!

[NMDemDist2]

16. ok, now you're stalking me

:rofl:


you have seen the "bread thread" right? and H2S has it right, housewolf is a treasure

so for the third time in 24 hours, Welcome! :hi:

[Ecumenist]

18. Actually, I hadn't seen that thread...

I just wanted to find someone who had a good recipe for ciabatta bread. You are so generous, AZ...
I guess we have an AWFUL lot in common. Sparkly and H2S are lovely and infintely entertaining. I look forward to many years of fun and learning here. Back at ya 3X, AZ!!

[NMDemDist2]

21. here's a few links for you, be sure to read the whole threads for buried

nuggets :)


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=236&topic_id=6007

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=236&topic_id=5203

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=236&topic_id=12192

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=236&topic_id=12243&mesg_id=12268

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=236&topic_id=10123

and finally, another one of my "I'm a goofball" threads with some great info buried in there

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=236&topic_id=5932

[Lugnut]

17. Hi Ecumenist!

:hi: You'll love it here.

I'm mustering up the courage to tackle bread now that I'm the proud owner of a brand new Kitchenaid mixer to do the hard stuff. :)

[Ecumenist]

20. Thank you for the welcome

Bread isn't as hard as most people make it out to be. Think about it, people have been making bread for thousands of years and often time, in various societies, bread made up the better part of the diet. So look at it like this, If Kroog the neolithic chef can make bread, so can you.