A Baking Journey - Ciabatta

I have always been highly entertained by books and catalogues. I think the most entertaining gift I received at Christmas was the the toy catalogue. I could imagine how I would play with all the toys. Hours and hours would pass with me happy entertaining myself. Guess I always was an introvert, shocking I know.

As I grew older I could entertain myself the same way with cookbooks. (Oh heck any book would do, but today's story is about cookbooks OK?)

I have spent many an hour looking through my most comprehensive baking book in my collection, King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion. It is an aspiration baking book to me. Ranging across pancakes, crackers, bread, pies, cakes, cookies, puddings, crumbles, scones, biscuits and dang near everything else but the kitchen sink. 

I think I received my copy as a Christmas present from my MIL or my mom, in one of the first years of my marriage. Sorry I don't remember which it was I'm just happy they indulged my love of books and dreaming.

Anyways back to today's story. I have poured over this book and thought of all the wonderful things I could bake then selected a recipe and was promptly intimidated. Some days I just get overwhelmed with all I could be doing so I just don't. Other days I select a recipe and read through it and think to myself I could just bake something I know, maybe there is a reason some of this is not baked anymore. Some of it is just a big ol' faff.

Since we have been watching Great British Bake Off (GBBO), my sense of hey we should try that has been over stimulated. (I am still not making puff pastry!) A wild hare caught me and I decided to try making Ciabatta. I mean it looks so wonderful when they make it on GBBO.

Luckily I only read the first few steps to make the biga and let it develop overnight. Hey I can do that, mix a bit and let it do all the work for you. Ha! This was an all day recipe. Mind you it was not work intensive but an all day recipe. 

My biga developed overnight and turned into this wonderful smelling, bubbly concoction. Nothing like bubbly bready stuff to make you feel like baking in the morning.

We followed the directions and got my trusty Kitchen Aid kneading the dough. Now this one I do remember, Mom bought my Kitchen Aid as a wedding present. She has been my trusty companion through good and bad baking. Luckily for Hubby there has been more good than bad. It finally formed a wet slappy dough and it was time to start the waiting.

 

I mean come on isn't that gorgeous? Nothing like bread dough to make you feel all powerful and baking queen-ish.

This recipe had us knocking down the dough every 45 minutes, for 3 hours. Honestly is there much better than sinking your freshly washed hands into fluffy, stretchy, yeasty goodness?

I made D take pictures next to my favorite spoon rest. I love that thing so much I got a second one. Every time I see "I licked the spoon" I giggle to myself. 

He took a glamour shot after the final in bowl prove. Don't you just want to sink your hands in there?

We shaped them and left them to rise on another of my MIL Christmas gifts a Silpat mat. Loved it so much I got myself a second one. One of them gets used every weekend for scone making. I even made some twice baked potatoes last week on them too. I love having the right tools for the job at hand. 

The weird part of the recipe is that you spritz water into the oven to create steam while baking. I'm not sure how effective this technique was for us but we did it each time. I have used a hot pan that you fill with water right after the bread goes into the oven.

 

Loaf One

 

Our results speak for themselves. We had a fun afternoon together creating this lovely Ciabatta. It may not be perfect but it is great for a first attempt. D found a recipe that takes less time but honestly this was a nice way to spend a Sunday with my Hubby. Burt was rather put out by all the up and down. He has some pretty strong cat napping skills though and was able to recover from each disturbance. 

Loaf two

Underside of loaf two

Don't worry D got to participate as not just the photographer too. He knocked it down at least once and he figured out sitting them near a window in the sunlight would make a nice proving place.That final prove was all him.

 Not perfect but still great especially for a first effort. Now onto Focaccia and crackers. 

Is it wrong to try making Christmas Scones in January? I think I am still going to try them out too. We still have to do a Jelly roll, and fig bars and...