Ciabatta

A ciabatta, is an Italian bread which is rather flat and full of holes. Since the ciabatta dough is wet, baking the dough in a cake pan or baking dish will hold its shape better. Also, it is easier to mix the dough in a mixer than by hand.

Ingredients:
All purpose flour - 3 cups
Barely warm water - 11/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons
Active Dry Yeast - 11/2 tsp
Extra Virgin Oil - 1/4 cup
Salt - 3/4 tsp
Butter - a little at room temperature, to grease the baking dish

Method of Preparation:


Making the Starter: Put 3/4 cup of flour and 3/4 cup of water in a bowl and combine with a whisk and sprinkle the yeast over it. Wait for about 3 minutes, for the yeast to moisten and stir again until the mixture has a consistency of a thick batter. Cover this mixture with plastic wrap and let it rise for 2 hours, until doubled or tripled in volume.

Mixing: Combine the started with the remaining flour, water and oil. Mix with a stand mixer fitted with dough hook for about 2 minutes or by hand for about 2 minutes. Cover with a moist towel or plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes.

Kneading: Add the salt and knead with a stand mixer on medium speed for about 7 minutes or by hand for about 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and stretches without breaking.

Fermentation: Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a moist towel. Leave the dough for about 2 hours at warm room temperature for a faster rise or for 30 minutes at room temperature then overnight in the refrigerator for the slowest rise.

Shaping: Transfer the dough gently into an oiled 11 inch cake pan, don't punch it down.

Proofing: Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature for about 2 hours or about twice its original volume.

Baking: Preheat the oven to 450F. Place a sheet pan on the bottom rack of the oven and pour in enough water to cover the bottom of the sheet pan (Be careful not to drop any water on the hot glass of the oven). Slide the baking dish with the ciabatta dough onto a rack over the pan with water. Turn down the oven to 425F. Bake for around 35 minutes or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Let cool for 5 minutes before turning the ciabatta out onto a cooling rack.

Let the ciabatta cool down completely, before slicing it.

No Yeast Yogurt Bread

A bread with no yeast, no oil/butter, one that contains wheat flour and millet flour along with honey and yogurt... Once I saw this recipe, I wanted to try it immediately. The recipe asked for wheatgerm, I didn't have them at home, so I replaced them with flax seeds. The outcome was a moist, wonderfully tasting, healthy and nutritious bread, that goes equally well with sweet or savory accompaniments. I halved the ingredients and made a small loaf (1 cup whole wheat flour and 3/4 cup millet flour, you can use any ratio and I baked for an hour).

Ingredients:(Makes 1 large loaf)
2 or more mixed flours - 31/2 cups (Wheat/rye/barley/millet)
Wheat germ - 3 tbsp
Baking Soda - 2 tsp
Baking Powder - 1 tsp
Plain Yogurt - 1 cup
Skim Milk/Water - 1 cup
Honey - 1/2 cup
Salt - 1 tsp

Method of Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 300F. Grease a large loaf pan.
2. Add all the ingredients to a large cool mixing bowl. Mix well.
3. Scrape the mixture into the loaf pan.
4. Bake slowly for about one hour 40 minutes.
5. Cool the no yeast yogurt bread on a wire rack.
Sending this to
 Champa's 'Bake-off' event

No Yeast Brown Bread

Brown bread is a healthy alternative to the white bread. I came across a very simple recipe for brown bread in a book named 'Cookbook For Women'. The recipe uses flax seeds, rolled oats, whole wheat flour and brown sugar. Flax seed replaces most of the oil or fat used to make regular breads. The best part of this recipe is the preparation time. It takes hardly 5 minutes to prepare the batter for no yeast brown bread.

Ingredients:
Whole wheat flour - 11/2 cup
All Purpose flour - 1 cup
Old fashioned rolled oats - 1/2 cup
Ground Flaxseed - 1/3 cup
Brown Sugar - 2/3 cup(packed)
Baking Soda - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Buttermilk - 12/3 cup

Method of Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a loaf pan(8X4 inch) with cooking spray.
2. Add all the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix well. Stir in the buttermilk into the dry ingredients just until mixed.
3. Transfer the batter into the loaf pan. Sprinkle a teaspoon of oats on the bread batter.
4. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
5. Cool the loaf pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove the bread from the loaf pan and place it on the wire rack.
6. Wait until the bread completely cools down(around 2 hours) before slicing.
7. Enjoy the delicious no yeast brown bread with the favorite topping of your choice. This no yeast brown bread tastes even better when it is toasted.

Sending this to  'Bake-Off' event being hosted by 'Champa', 'Tasty Tuesday' being hosted by 'Alicia', 'Slightly Indulgent Tuesday' being hosted by 'Amy', 'Tempt My Tummy Tuesday' being hosted by 'Grace'

Eat Well Live Well, New Monthly event with a giveaway offer from CSN and Any One Can Cook: Series 4 - being hosted by 'Ayeesha'

'Hearth n Soul' being hosted by 'GirliChef'