Ciabatta bread - this one worked out really well, fast and easy

[vfem]

That place looks amazing mike!

I made a loaf of italian bread for dinner tonight, and I have the used mixer bowl with all the left over dough bits... I've always been told that's the best to make sourdough in. I am going to do a search and see what I come up with so I will have some to bake tomorrow. I'll let everyone know how it turns out, but it will be another thread.

 

[bigmike&nan]

Yesterday I made a batch of ciabatta rolls using buttermilk instead of water for the dough. Otherwise I did everything as described in the recipe. They are amazing - the wife is off (a snow day) and we're going to have the vegetable subs described earlier in this thread for lunch. I include this photo I shot this morning, almost a full day after the baking - this roll is not representative of the great bubbles and air structures I had in my others (this roll was frozen and then thawed). We (meaning I) ate so many of the first bag of four I had to thaw some for today. LOL... Really very very good. Can't wait to use the same dough and let it rest overnight (the way it's sorta supposed to be done).

 

[vfem]

I am going to put off another batch until next week... I head another batch of sour dough calling me. I'm thinking rolls would be nice to have with tonight's dinner of chicken soup!

Yours keep coming out looking FABULOUS!!!!!!

 

[adoptedbyachicken]

Well I'm running out, but I have 3 days off starting in the morning (I'm on a nightshift right now) so I will be doing more of regular bread and ciabatta. Mike are you going to let a ciabatta sour overnight or is that another bread your speaking of? Using buttermilk is interesting, if you let that culture overnight you would have a interesting flavour for sure. Hmmmm... might have to try that myself.

I have often used whey after making yogurt and seperating for a cream cheese like spread. So I just reduce the yeast, use the whey as part or all of the water, give it 24 hours for several rises before forming loaves, often doing higher hydration so it can be beat rather than kneading. Then add the needed flour for the last kneading and rise.

 

[bigmike&nan]

Quote:
Hmmm Nightshift, wonderful (I worked about 15 years of nights in my lifetime, sorta liked 2nd's).
I made the starter using water, 1/3 cup rye flour, 2/3 cup whole wheat flour, 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp yeast. From everything I read using yeast in your starter gives you a good bubbly starter but if you're making sourdough not the most sour sourdough at first. Like I said a few days back I was researching Ciabatta recipes online and YouTube and most traditional ciabatta uses a sponge made the day before. SOoooooo, I am using some of my sourdough starter (that I am supposed to take off each day) as the sponge for my ciabatta rolls and in THIS I AM using buttermilk... The wife is going nuts as she loves bread - today more ciabatta rolls, Saturday a pizza and Sunday probably more rolls. They're a great staple. Yesterday I made her a ham/vegetable sub with one of the rolls - we had some leftover whole filet mignon I'd roasted so I thin sliced some of that meat on the bias and then warmed it briefly in the microwave, garnished it up with some thin sliced brown mushrooms and sliced tomatoes and Mikey's Magic Sauce. It was sooo good I never got a photo of it.
Well off to the kitchen to make some dough.

 

[bigmike&nan]

While I had the dough hook portion of the process going I made this little snack for my breakfast:
thin sliced filet mignon, tomatoes and brown mushrooms on a warmed ciabatta roll with home made tarragon mayo. WOW

 

[vfem]

bigmike&nan :

While I had the dough hook portion of the process going I made this little snack for my breakfast:
thin sliced filet mignon, tomatoes and brown mushrooms on a warmed ciabatta roll with home made tarragon mayo. WOW
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/...9_496855377238_700647238_6080260_662296_n.jpg

Man, I saw Ina's Tarragon mayo and have been wanting to try it... but I'll wait for my tarragon in the garden to be fresh I guess.

I'm not a steak fan, but man... I'm thinking all that with a fried egg, basil and sun dried tomatoes will work for my breakfast! YUM!​

 

[bigmike&nan]

Well this is the ciabatta rolls made with half the starter I made yesterday (the part I am supposed to "throw away", yeah right). I followed the recipe except I used buttermilk instead of water in the dough and tossed in the starter too, about a cup's worth. The dough went nuts. I have got to get to Target for a storage box so I can let my dough proof in a larger container. I cut it into rolls and laid them out covered. I went to pull the towel and they had all grown together !! So I cut them and laid half on a 2nd pan. This is the first pan, they are noticeably taller than any previous rolls. Can't wait to have one with some COLD butter. 2nd batch baking now. WOW !!

OK just had one of the rolls with some COLD butter, wow. More like what a ciabatta from a good italian bakery would be like: crunchy crust, much taller and better internal hole structure - and way better yield.

 

[adoptedbyachicken]

Well Mike, you made me go buy buttermilk.... LOL