Ciabatta bread, a staple of Italian cuisine, has transcended its regional roots to become a global favorite. Characterized by its porous texture and chewy crust, ciabatta's versatility makes it ideal for sandwiches, bruschetta, and dipping in olive oil. While its origin is contested among Italian regions, the bread's popularity is undisputed.
For those keen on baking their own, the process can be intricate. The Craft Bakers Association suggests that ciabatta's high hydration dough is what challenges many home bakers, recommending practice and patience for those attempting it. Dive in to gain an understanding of just what ciabatta bread is and how it can not only enrich one's culinary knowledge but also enhance the dining experience with a touch of authentic Italian tradition.
There are a number of different ways to make ciabatta bread. The most simple uses a basic yeast and white flour recipe, although it tends to be lacking in complexity. Most bakers use a biga or sourdough starter to make a bread with an open crumb and slightly soured flavor. For cooks who are not familiar with making rustic or artisan breads, attempting ciabatta can be very frustrating, and it may take multiple tries. It is generally considered to be a poor choice of bread for beginners. When made well, this bread has a moist crumb and a crackly, crisp crust.
In Italian, ciabatta means “slipper,” leading some people to call the bread “slipper bread.” The name is a reference to the shape, which does sort of resemble a slipper. Ciabatta bread tends to be short, wide, and long, which makes it ideally suited to sandwiches. It is also offered with olive oils and other dips, since the crumb absorbs dips and liquids very well, and it may be toasted when served for this purpose. Dried ciabatta bread can also be turned into excellent croutons.
Some bakers add herbs, oil, or olives to their ciabatta bread before baking it, turning out a bread which slightly resembles focaccia, although it has a less dense crumb. Others may make it with milk, producing ciabatta al latte, and a whole wheat version is also available. Panini, the classic grilled Italian sandwiches on hearty breads, are often made with ciabatta.
Like many artisan breads, ciabatta bread tastes best when it is fresh. People should try and purchase it freshly baked on the day they intend to use it, although wrapping it in plastic can help it to last longer. However, plastic wrapping will tend to make the bread slightly soggy, which can be an undesirable or unacceptable trade-off. To refresh ciabatta bread which is slightly stale or soggy, it can be sprinkled with water and toasted in an oven immediately before serving. Otherwise, stale ciabbata bread can be allowed to go truly stale and turned into croutons.