Food Processor Ciabatta Recipes

FOOD-PROCESSOR CIABATTA

Steps:

• Combine flour with salt and yeast in a food processor fitted with a plastic blade. Pulse a few times to mix.
• With the machine running, pour in the olive oil, then all but about 2 tablespoons of the water into the food tube. Mixture should not be stiff enough to be gathered into a ball, nor should it be runny like a batter. It should be elastic and resilient, about the consistency of melted mozzarella cheese. Add a little more water if it is too stiff.
• The dough can be left to rise in the food processor. Replace the cylinder to close the feed tube. Or transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside to rise.
• Allow the dough to rise at least three hours. It can be left to rise as long as 24 hours.
• Oil a nonstick baking sheet and dust it with flour or cornmeal. Using a spatula, scrape the dough out of the food processor or bowl and onto the baking sheet, allowing it to fall in an oval shape about twice as long as it is wide. Pile the dough so it mounds up to about 2 inches high in the middle. Set aside to rise until doubled, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Alternately, the dough can be piled into an oiled, floured, nonstick pie or cake pan, 8 inches in diameter.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Dust the top of the bread lightly with flour. Bake for about 45 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool completely before slicing.

EASY CIABATTA BREAD

Steps:

• Part 1: Making the Biga (starter dough mix) Add yeast and sugar to water; stir then let rest 5 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, stand mixer or 14 cup food processor fitted with dough blade, add flour and yeast mixture. Mix/pulse at low speed until the dough looks like soft, shaggy and sticky dough. Turn mixture into a large buttered bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate from 8 hours to 36 hours. Part 2: Making the Loaves-Pull apart biga dough into walnut size pieces and toss into a large mixing bowl, stand mixer or 14 cup food processor fitted with dough nook/blade. Add flour, yeast and water. Mix until dough turns into a shaggy mass. Scrape bowl down and let rest 10 minutes, covered with plastic wrap or clean kitchen towel. (Don't remove from bowl until instructed). Sprinkle salt over dough and knead until dough starts to come away from sides. Scrape down bowl and hook/blade and let dough rest covered for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place metal bowl of boiling water on lowest rack or bottom of oven. Set next rack directly above water bowl. Scrape dough out of bowl onto a floured surface. Knead 6-8 turns, turning the dough a quarter turn each time. Dough should be silky, a bit sticky and limp like super slime. Cut dough in half. One at a time, place dough on prepared baking sheet flour side up. With floured hands squish and push dough into a 16"x 4" rectangle. Let loaves rest 20 minutes, uncovered. Dimple the bread with fingertips before baking. Bake loaves for exactly 25 minutes. If you're not sure they're done, tap on loaves--they should have a hollow thud sound. Bread will be lightly brown on top and crusty brown on the bottom. Brush tops and sides of loaves with soft butter. Cool completely on rack before cutting. Wrap in parchment paper and aluminum foil and store in refrigerator. Loaves stored frozen are good for up to 2 months wrapped well. Serving: Cut bread into 4-5" chunks, then turn on side and slice in half.

CIABATTA

Steps:

• Make biga:
• Place water in processor. Sprinkle yeast over. Let stand until yeast dissolves, about 8 minutes. Add 1 cup flour; process until blended. Scrape down sides of work bowl. Add 1 cup flour; repeat processing and scraping. Add remaining 1 1/3 cups flour. Process until small moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball (dough will be firm); place in large bowl. Cover; chill overnight (biga will soften, resembling thick oatmeal in texture).
• Make dough:
• Pull biga into walnut-size pieces; place in a clean large bowl. Add water, yeast and 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons semolina. Using 1 hand, squeeze ingredients together 2 minutes. Work dough 4 minutes by scooping sections from sides of bowl and pressing into center, blending into very soft, shaggy mass. Using spatula, scrape dough from sides of bowl into center. Let dough rest in bowl, uncovered, 10 minutes.
• Sprinkle salt over dough. Using 1 hand, knead dough by rotating bowl 1/4 turn at a time, scooping dough from sides and folding down into center until dough starts to come away from sides of bowl, about 5 minutes. Scrape dough from hand and sides of bowl. Cover bowl with towel; let dough rest 20 minutes.
• Rotating bowl 1/4 turn at a time, fold dough over onto itself 6 times; turn dough over in bowl. Cover with towel and let dough rest in bowl 20 minutes.
• Bake bread:
• Preheat oven to 425°F. Sprinkle work surface with additional semolina. Turn dough out onto semolina. Using pastry scraper or large knife, cut dough in half; keep halves separated. Let stand, uncovered, 20 minutes.
• Sprinkle 2 large baking sheets with additional semolina. Transfer each dough half, semolina side up, to 1 sheet. Stretch each dough half to 16x4-inch rectangle. Press fingertips into dough in several places to dimple surface (characteristic of this bread). Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cool. (Can be prepared 2 weeks ahead. Double-wrap in aluminum foil to freeze.)

CIABATTA (ITALIAN SLIPPER BREAD)

Steps:

• Make sponge: Stir together, warm water and yeast.
• Let stand 5 minutes, until creamy.
• Transfer yeast mixture to another bowl and add room-temp water and flour.
• Stir for 4 minutes.
• Cover bowl with plastic wrap.
• Let stand at cool room temp at least 12 hours and up to 1 day.
• Make bread: Stir together yeast and milk in small bowl and let stand 5 minutes, until creamy.
• In bowl of standing electric mixer, with dough hook, blend together milk mixture, sponge, water, oil and flour at low speed until flour is moistened.
• Beat on medium for 3 minutes.
• Add salt and beat for 4 more minutes.
• Scrape dough into oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap, until doubled- about 1 1/2 hours.
• Note: Dough will be VERY sticky and full of bubbles.
• Cut two pieces of parchment paper, approx 12 inches by 6 inches.
• Place on baking sheet and flour well.
• Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface and cut in half.
• Transfer each half to paper and form irregular ovals approx 9 inches long.
• Dip fingers in flour and dimple loaves.
• Dust tops with flour.
• Cover with dampened kitchen towel and let rise 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until almost doubled.
• At least 45 minutes before baking bread, pre-heat pizza stone on lowest oven rack position at 425°F.
• Transfer 1 loaf, along with parchment paper, onto stone and bake for 20 minutes or until pale golden.
• Remove to cooling racks and repeat with second loaf.

CIABATTA

Steps:

• For the sponge: Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife.
• Place all ingredients in a food processor and process for 1 minute or until well blended.
• Spoon mixture into a medium-bowl. Cover and chill sponge from 2 to 24 hours.
• For the Ciabatta: Lightly spoon 4 cups flour into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife.
• Combine with the Basic Sponge you prepared earlier and the water, nonfat dry milk powder, yeast, and salt in a food processor.
• Process until dough forms a ball. Process 1 additional minute.
• Turn dough out onto a floured surface (dough will be sticky and soft).
• Divide dough in half working with 1 portion of dough at a time (cover the remaining dough to keep it from drying).
• Roll each portion into a 12x16" rectangle.
• Place dough on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal.
• Taper ends of dough to form a "slipper" shape.
• Sprinkle 2 tablespoons flour over loaves.
• Cover and let rise 30 minutes or until doubled in bulk.
• Preheat oven to 425.
• Uncover dough and bake for 25 minutes or until loaves sound hollow when tapped.
• Remove from pan.
• Cool on a wire rack.