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Cluck, Muck & Cook

Baking & Foodie Blog From Sunny Brentwood Essex

loaf

Ciabatta

0 December 11, 2016 Breads

Ciabatta

Back to a bit of bread baking this weekend. Bread has been my nemesis for most of my baking life, that is until this year when I had a eureka moment. I realised that I had always made my dough too dry and that produced bread with the same density of lead which would sink any duck we fed it to in the local park!

Ciabatta

This year my bread skills have improved greatly. My latest favorite bread being the “slipper”, the Italian retort to the French baguette. The fantastic ciabatta, a versatile light and open textured loaf.

Ciabatta

The dough is the polar opposite of the dense dry dough’s of old. The Ciabatta dough is very wet and loose. You really need a stand mixer to knead the dough to build up the gluten. Then you prove it in a square Tupperware box for a couple of hours before carefully transferring the dough to a heavily floured work surface. Cut into loaf shapes and quickly transfer them to baking sheets before the dough try’s to ooze off the workbench.

CiabattaCiabatta

Makes: 4 loafs
Oven Temp: Gas 7, 425F, 220C (200C Fan)

Ingredients
500g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
10g salt
10g instant yeast
3 tablespoons olive oil
400 ml lukewarm water

Instructions
1. Oil a 2 litre square plastic container.
2. Sift flour into a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attached.
3. Add the yeast to one side of the bowl. Add the salt to the other side of the bowl. This helps stop the yeast being retarded by the salt.
4. Add the olive oil and water and begin mixing on a slow speed. As the dough starts to come together, turn the speed up to medium and mix for a further 5-8 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
5. Tip the dough into the oiled container, cover with some plastic wrap and leave until at least doubled in size – a couple of hours.
6. Preheat the oven to 220°C and flour 2 baking trays.
7. Generously dust the work surface heavily with flour. Gently tip out the dough (it will be very wet), trying to keep a rough square shape. Handle it gently so you do not knock much air out of the dough. Dust the top of the dough with more flour.
8. Cut the dough in half lengthwise and divide each half lengthwise again. Place on prepared baking trays.
9. Leave the ciabatta dough to rest for 10 minutes, then bake for 25 minutes, until the loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped underneath. Cool on a wire rack.

 

Ciabatta
 
Save Print
Prep time
30 mins
Cook time
25 mins
Total time
55 mins
 
My latest favorite bread being the "slipper", the Italian retort to the French baguette. The fantastic ciabatta, a versatile light and open textured loaf.
Author: CluckMuckCook
Serves: 4 loaves
Ingredients
  • 500g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 10g salt
  • 10g instant yeast
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 400 ml lukewarm water
Instructions
  1. Oil a 2 litre square plastic container.
  2. Sift flour into a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attached.
  3. Add the yeast to one side of the bowl. Add the salt to the other side of the bowl. This helps stop the yeast being retarded by the salt.
  4. Add the olive oil and water and begin mixing on a slow speed. As the dough starts to come together, turn the speed up to medium and mix for a further 5-8 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
  5. Tip the dough into the oiled container, cover with some plastic wrap and leave until at least doubled in size – a couple of hours.
  6. Preheat the oven to 220 C (200 C fan) and flour 2 baking trays.
  7. Generously dust the work surface heavily with flour. Gently tip out the dough (it will be very wet), trying to keep a rough square shape. Handle it gently so you do not knock much air out of the dough. Dust the top of the dough with more flour.
  8. Cut the dough in half lengthwise and divide each half lengthwise again. Place on prepared baking trays.
  9. Leave the ciabatta dough to rest for 10 minutes, then bake for 25 minutes, until the loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped underneath. Cool on a wire rack.
3.5.3226

 

1 October 9, 2016 Breads

Basic Soft White Bread

Nothing beats the smell of a fresh loaf baking in the oven. In my opinion you cannot beat a soft white loaf covered with poppy seeds, slathered in butter and jam or toasted as big doorsteps the day after making it.

basicwhitecooked

My first childhood memory of baking was with my dad. I was probably around 7-8 years old and he had decided to start bread making. As this was well before the internet, I to this day have no idea where he got the recipe from. I would guess by the outcome it was from the local brick maker! The loaf that came out of the tin had the same density of lead. We decided to offer it to the birds, even they struggled to break through the impenetrable crust. Our dawn chorus for weeks after was birds tweeting with lisps whilst their poor little beaks recovered!

A good few years later I am glad to say we can now bake a lovely soft and light loaf.

basicwhitedough

Makes: 1 small loaf
Oven Temp: Gas 6, 400F, 200C (180C Fan)

Ingredients
225g white bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fast acting yeast
1 teaspoon caster sugar (or honey)
150 ml luke warm water
30g butter (melted) or olive oil
A little extra flour for dusting
A little oil for greasing the loaf tin
1 egg to glaze
Poppy seeds optional
1 loaf tin

Instructions
1.Sift flour into a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attached.
2.Add the yeast and sugar to one side of the bowl. Add the salt to the other side of the bowl. This helps stop the yeast being retarded by the salt.
3.Make a well in the centre and add in the water and cooled melted butter.
4.Mix together well and bring to a ball. You do not want an over dry dough or it will not rise well. I prefer my dough on the slightly wetter side at this point as when you start kneading you can add a little flour to bring it to a smooth and silky consistency.
5. Knead for 10 minutes by hand or 7 minutes in a stand mixer with a dough hook.
6. Once the dough is smooth and elastic, gather into a ball and put it in a lightly oiled bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a bag and leave it to rise in a warm spot until it has doubled in size.
7. Once doubled in size it is time to ‘knock it back’ Basically just punch all the air out of it and knead for 30 seconds.
8. Shape the dough to fit your loaf tin. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and leave to rise until doubled again.
9. Preheat oven to 200C/180C Fan.
10. Carefully egg wash the top of the loaf and sprinkle with a little salt (or poppy seeds if using). Do not let the egg wash touch the tin as that will make removing it very hard.
11. Bake for around 30 mins until the loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped underneath. Cool on a wire rack.

Basic Soft White Bread
 
Save Print
Prep time
15 mins
Cook time
30 mins
Total time
45 mins
 
A small lovely soft and light loaf.
Author: CluckMuckCook
Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • 225g white bread flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon fast acting yeast
  • 1 teaspoon caster sugar (or honey)
  • 150 ml luke warm water
  • 30g butter (melted) or olive oil
  • A little extra flour for dusting
  • A little oil for greasing the loaf tin
  • 1 egg to glaze
  • Poppy seeds optional
  • 1 1lb loaf tin
Instructions
  1. Oven Temp: Gas 6, 400F, 200C (180C Fan)
  2. Sift flour into a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attached.
  3. Add the yeast and sugar to one side of the bowl. Add the salt to the other side of the bowl. This helps stop the yeast being retarded by the salt.
  4. Make a well in the centre and add in the water and cooled melted butter.
  5. Mix together well and bring to a ball. You do not want an over dry dough or it will not rise well. I prefer my dough on the slightly wetter side at this point as when you start kneading you can add a little flour to bring it to a smooth and silky consistency.
  6. Knead for 10 minutes by hand or 7 minutes in a stand mixer with a dough hook.
  7. Once the dough is smooth and elastic, gather into a ball and put it in a lightly oiled bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a bag and leave it to rise in a warm spot until it has doubled in size.
  8. Once doubled in size it is time to 'knock it back' Basically just punch all the air out of it and knead for 30 seconds.
  9. Shape the dough to fit your loaf tin. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and leave to rise until doubled again.
  10. Preheat oven to 200C/180C Fan.
  11. Carefully egg wash the top of the loaf and sprinkle with a little salt (or poppy seeds if using). Do not let the egg wash touch the tin as that will make removing it very hard.
  12. Bake for around 30 mins until the loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped underneath. Cool on a wire rack.
3.5.3217

Recipe adapted from Leiths Baking Bible.

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