Ciabatta and other bread matters
Pardon me as I'm documenting my cooking projects backwards.
When I left my job a month ago, I was overwhelmed by a strong urge to bake bread, and bake bread I did.
Unemployment lends you loads of time. Although I wasn't working a full-time job, I still had other commitments to see to. I would knead and prep my dough, and most of the time it required at least 2 hours for the dough to rise, and in that time I'd do my work - efficient!
I got the Ciabatta right on my first attempt, and followed the recipe from Crepes of Wrath largely to a T. The only thing I changed was the amount of yeast. In Singapore it is quite impossible to get Active Dry Yeast from supermarkets. However, there are packet instant yeast options. I typically used the Yeast Converter to figure out what I need, but considering the humidity of Singapore, I added another teaspoon in most instances.
This is how I usually start - laptop always at the ready. Here are all the ingredients you need, sans water.
All the dry ingredients into a bowl.
Add water. Mix it with wooden spoon. Slap it around for 5 minutes.
It will look like that before proofing - wet and sticky, don't worry, oil the heck out of it and hide it for 2 hours.
Attempt to push it into some form of shape - preferably long and log looking.
Tadah!
I also attempted the focaccia again, which I have done a few times before.
Mix all ingredients and knead it into a nice smooth ball. Put it in a well oiled bowl and hide it for it to rise.
I'm not supposed to put in the whole packet of yeast, but it only had about half a teaspoon left, so i thought - what the heck.
Focaccia is most iconic for its dimples which pools oil and great flavour - you can pretty much customise this to anything you want - flatbread with tomatoes, olives, etc.
Voila!
When I left my job a month ago, I was overwhelmed by a strong urge to bake bread, and bake bread I did.
Unemployment lends you loads of time. Although I wasn't working a full-time job, I still had other commitments to see to. I would knead and prep my dough, and most of the time it required at least 2 hours for the dough to rise, and in that time I'd do my work - efficient!
I got the Ciabatta right on my first attempt, and followed the recipe from Crepes of Wrath largely to a T. The only thing I changed was the amount of yeast. In Singapore it is quite impossible to get Active Dry Yeast from supermarkets. However, there are packet instant yeast options. I typically used the Yeast Converter to figure out what I need, but considering the humidity of Singapore, I added another teaspoon in most instances.
This is how I usually start - laptop always at the ready. Here are all the ingredients you need, sans water.
All the dry ingredients into a bowl.
Add water. Mix it with wooden spoon. Slap it around for 5 minutes.
It will look like that before proofing - wet and sticky, don't worry, oil the heck out of it and hide it for 2 hours.
After 2 hours, ease your dough out of the bowl and onto a long pan lined with greaseproof paper and flour.
I eventually tilted my paper diagonally so that the bread has more length to grow and expand. Throw some flour on top when you're done and pop it into the oven right away for about 40 minutes. When it's done, tap it, and it should sound hollow!
Tadah!
The two breads look different as I've baked this on two separate occasions - and both turned out great each time. You can eat it with other saucy dishes or just with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
I also attempted the focaccia again, which I have done a few times before.
Mix all ingredients and knead it into a nice smooth ball. Put it in a well oiled bowl and hide it for it to rise.
I'm not supposed to put in the whole packet of yeast, but it only had about half a teaspoon left, so i thought - what the heck.
Focaccia is most iconic for its dimples which pools oil and great flavour - you can pretty much customise this to anything you want - flatbread with tomatoes, olives, etc.
Voila!
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