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Ciabatta breads piled on a mirror serving tray beside a clear round glass of water, fresh ripe mangoes, and shelled walnut halves. Next to the plate is a large silver-gold owl statue. The background is wet stones in a creekbed next to a grassy field.

Shadowlands Ciabatta

Tiny French bread style loaves with chewy crust, this ciabatta is perfect for sandwiches. Let the scent of baking bread remind you to pause and have a moment of rest before returning to the world.
5 from 1 vote
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Course Bread
Cuisine French, World of Warcraft

Equipment

  • Stand mixer or bread machine for kneading dough
  • 2 Half-sheet baking pans (18" x 13") or similar baking sheets
  • Bench knife

Ingredients
  

Starter

  • 1 ½ cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 cup cool water
  • 1/16 tsp yeast instant or regular

Dough

  • all of the starter from above
  • 2 tsp yeast instant or regular
  • 3 cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 ¼ tsp table salt
  • 2 Tbsp nonfat dry milk
  • ⅔ cup lukewarm water
  • 3 Tbsp avocado oil or olive oil

Instructions
 

Starter

  • Mix the starter ingredients in a medium bowl until well combined. Cover the starter and let it rest at room temperature OVERNIGHT, or for up to 15 hours.

Bread

  • Place all of the dough ingredients, including the starter, into the bowl of your mixer, and beat at medium speed, using the flat beater, for 7 minutes. The dough will be very smooth, soft, shiny, and elastic. ** (you can knead by hand if you're really wanting a good workout, or see notes for using a bread machine)
  • Transfer the dough to a greased bowl or other rising container, cover it, and let it rise for 2 hours.
  • Give the dough a fold: Turn it out onto a floured surface and, using a bowl scraper or bench knife, fold it like a business letter. Turn the dough 90 degrees. Gently flatten it a bit, and repeat the letter fold. Return the dough to the bowl, cover, and let it rise for another hour.
  • Lightly grease your work surface, and two half-sheet baking pans (18" x 13") or similar large baking sheets. Grease your hands too.
  • Turn the dough out of the bowl onto a lightly greased work surface.
  • Pat the dough into an 8" x 10" rectangle and cut it into 12 squares using a bench knife (about 2 1/2" each).
  • Transfer the rolls to the baking sheets, leaving about 3" between them.
  • Lightly cover the rolls with heavily oiled plastic wrap and allow them to rise for 2 to 3 hours, or until they're showing some signs of puffiness. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 425°F.
  • Spritz the risen rolls with lukewarm water (or very gently use wet hands to moisten the tops of all of them). Gently but firmly dimple each one with your fingers, making fairly deep pockets.
  • Immediately place the rolls into the oven. Bake them until they're golden brown, about 18 to 20 minutes. Remove them from the oven, and cool on a rack.
  • Slice crosswise, and add your favorite fillings. Store any leftovers tightly wrapped, at room temperature.

Notes

** Alternatively, knead the dough ingredients in your bread machine using the dough cycle.  Skip the folding step and let the bread continue proofing for an extra hour after the dough cycle completes.
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