What I made yesterday...

Chef John's no knead Ciabatta bread.  

I have no idea why everybody wants to do this type of bread...but, it seems a big thing...so, of course,  I'm doing it too.  After all....it's bread!  I'm having fun testing various recipes.  This guy is kind of fun to listen to on his video...and let's you know how simple this is to do... no big deal when he doesn't quite flip the soft dough onto the sheet pan properly, etc.... just fix it up and carry on.  Let's us all know we can do it too....it's not rocket science as they say...

I think I still prefer the first one I tried a few years back, called Tuscan bread...which is done on the same day...with no kneading either by the way and got it from 29 Black Street blog.  The rest of them all seem to call for leaving the dough mix for 18 to 24 hours and then shaping and letting it rise again for 2 hours and then baking.  Either way...it's not a big deal...but, I prefer the flavour of the Tuscan (
not that it has much either, ...they are meant to be eaten with spicy soups or tangy cheeses I think ) ...this one and others I've tried have not very much flavour at all.  Surprisingly, this one has the teeniest amount of yeast so far..... only 1/4 teaspoon...yep....you read it correctly.  How such oven spring is possible with that tiny amount is beyond me ....but, spring it does!  Big time.

Strangely,it does not smell like you are baking bread at all.  Probably due to the small amount of yeast. And, if you flour the sheet generously....try to keep it under the bread only...  Any extra flour on the sheet does tend to get pretty brown to the point of almost burned as you can see...and that does tend to stink...

But, look....what fun to see this in my oven....

A great big Italian slipper.... what the word ciabatta supposedly means...

A lovely large loaf, with firm crunchy crust and moist and soft airy crumb. (hole-y is exactly what we are looking for in a loaf like this.)

....I had to cut into it immediately after taking it out of the oven....

What could possibly be any better than fresh, home made bread...slathered with lovely butter.

Nothing....that's what.  Absolutely nothing.













We had it for supper with a tangy and very spicy sweet potato/carrot soup...... yum!