Preparation of different Types of Italian Ciabatta Bread

Ciabatta (Carpet slipper) Bread is a special type of Flat and elongated Italian Bread designed to meet a characteristic crispy and crunchy feel. It is made up of an external brownish hard crust seemingly protecting an inner spongy soft and whitish internal core like a chitinous Exoskeleton around an internal soft system of a Beetle.

Ciabatta can be fassioned into various forms, thus leading to different varieties as represented by the five types below.

• Normal Ciabatta Bread

• Ciabatta Artigianale (Art)

• Ciabatta Biologico

• Ciabatta Olive

• Toscano

• Add the Ingredients (in a mixing Tub) as represented by the Table above and mix for 5 to 6 Minutes.

• A sticky paste or Dough is formed at the end of the mixing time.

• Bring the Dough out of the Tub and place on a the table to stabilise between 15 to 20 minutes.

• Sprinkle some Flour lightly on the surface of the Dough.

• Cut the Dough into loaves of smaller oval-shaped pieces depending on the size of the Ciabatta you intend to make.

• Slightly depress each Loave against the surface of the table.

• Place the Loaves on a flat surface to either convey it into the Incubator or to allow to incubate when covered at room Temperature.

• Allow to incubate and rise for up to 45 minutes.

• Preheat oven From 400 to 425°F.

• Dimple dough for a second time, and then place loaves in the oven, positioned on the middle rack.

• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

• Baking should be done in the presence of water vapour to form the brown-crispy crust. You may sprinkle with water every five minutes if your oven do not provide for Vapour.

And your Ciabatta Bread is Ready!

This is a smaller and Harder form of Ciabatta. It is crafted with shape, structure and Texture in mind. It appears more like a Cracked Drought soil shaped into an imperfect Cuboid.

It's rigid Structure is possible because of long duration of initial Dough (BIGA) formation and a special process where the bread is turned upside down (at the end of incubation) before placing in Oven.

This is a specialty of the Italians. They make and export Ciabatta Olive across European countries like, Spain, England, Denmark, Germany and France. Ciabatta Olive Bread is made with either of three forms of Olive Fruits. They are:

• Black Olive

• Green Olive and

• Brown Olive

The soft fruits are partially crushed and and added to the flour before mixing to form the Paste or Dough. The Olive is seen as dark protruding patches across the Surfaced of the Bake Bread. Olive Fruits gives the Bread a Unique characteristic taste and Aroma.

This is an exclusive type of Ciabatta Bread. It has almost the same physical appearance, except that it is prepared without Salt, Sugar or any other taste Enhancer. It is hard and dry, and also lighter in colour. Toscano can either be deliberately made as a whole loaf or shaped to fit in for a sliced Bread.