Bread, Italy, Macao

Sun-dried Tomato and Parmesan Ciabatta Bread

Posted by cheznousdinners on

Sun-dried Tomato and Parmesan Ciabatta Bread

Daria Souvorova

2.5-3 hours
serves: Makes 1 18 inch loaf

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forgive the photo…we couldn’t wait to try the bread, so it was still a bit too hot to slice!
I have gotten quite into Ciabatta of late. It is so easy to make, and is really forgiving in mixing in additional flavors. The bread obsession lives on! Baguettes have always been my favorite, but we were looking to try something different, so I figured I would go for an Italian classic. I decided to bring back my Ciabatta recipe, but alter it a bit to make it even easier and faster, it worked beautifully. I am really proud of this recipe, and it is great for folks that do not want to fuss too much about baking, but come out with a delicious loaf.
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Generally, ciabatta is made with a sponge mixture, but that means you have to prepare it at least 12-24 hours in advance…but what if you get home at 6pm and decide you want Ciabatta with your soup that evening?? What, go to the grocery store and buy one? Lunacy!One evening a few months ago, I had this exact crisis, so I decided to combine some of my baguette ideas with the ciabatta. Instead of preparing the sponge and letting it grow, I increased the quantity of water and yeast and just mixed all of the ingredients together, kneaded them and let it rise for 2 1 hour rises the same way that I would a baguette. Wouldn’t you know it, the loaf turned out perfectly! I am so proud of it.
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You can make this ciabatta recipe without the sun-dried tomato paste, and it is perfectly delicious, find my Classic Easy Ciabatta recipe here, or try it out with olives for my Kalamata Olive Ciabatta recipe. So many possibilities!

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups less 2 tablespoons warm water
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon yeast
  • 3 1/4 cups bread flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • pinch of sugar
  • 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
  • 2 tablespoons capers
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil plus oil for greasing dough

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    1. Mix water and yeast, leave for 10 minutes.
    2. Meanwhile, grind together Parmesan, sun-dried tomatoes, capers, and olive oil.
    3. Mix flours into yeast water.
      Add salt and mix in a stand mixer with a kneading attachment until combined, and then for 10 minutes longer at medium speed.
      Add the sun-dried tomato mixture and mix for a minute longer at low speed.
      The dough will seem too liquid, almost like a cake dough. This is good.
    4. Oil a mixing bowl. Add the dough and move it around to coat the sides. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil on top.
      Cover with a moist cloth, place in your oven with the pilot light on and let rise for about an hour.
    5. After an hour, the dough should have doubled.
      Smack it back down, and mix the oil in a bit.
      Cover and let rise for another 40 minutes to an hour.
    6. Preheat oven to 400°F with the convection fan on. If you don’t have a convection fan, raise the temperature to 425°F and flip the cookie sheet halfway through baking.
      Cover a cookie sheet with a piece of parchment. Sprinkle with flour.
      Dump dough onto the floured parchment and form it into an 18 inch log. It will be sticky and floppy, do your best.
      I dump mine onto the table and then try to fold it like a letter before using the parchment to help me flip it over.
      Sprinkle the top with flour.
    7. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the crust is flaky and golden brown.
      If unsure, stick a meat thermometer in from the bottom. It should read 185°F.
    8. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing open…I have to chant this to myself on the regular to prevent myself from eating all the bread before dinner.
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