The Fresh Loaf

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Jason's Ciabatta - bread machine to mix?

LauraB's picture
LauraB

Jason's Ciabatta - bread machine to mix?

Hi all -

I've been eyeing off Jason's ciabatta recipe and wondering how best to go about it. I don't have a large kitchen mixer, and I don't think my hands and arms are up to doing the whole thing by hand. I do most of my baking using a bread machine for the initial kneading, then do my own shaping, oven baking, etc. Given the feedback on the 'gloopiness' of the batter, what are peoples' thoughts about using the bread machine to bring this one together?

Cheers,

Laura

 

swtgran's picture
swtgran

Ciabatta is the one bread I always use my bread machine for.

campcook's picture
campcook

I make variations of Jason's Ciabatta all the time and rarely use any mechanical mixer.  Just dry mix the flour, salt, and yeast.  Then add the water and mix with a spatula.  It just takes a few minutes and doesn't require strong hands.  Then cover and into the fridge over night or longer,  Dump onto wet counter, Stretch and fold a time or two.  Let it rise on the counter for an hour or so.  Stretch and shape with wet hands always keeping the counter wet.  Proof for 40 minutes to an hour and bake.

Dave

herculeorama's picture
herculeorama

I had posted my experience with bread machine in another thread. I used the machine with very good results. Set the machine to dough cycle. Put in the ingredients. Start the machine. Once the mixing is over, I don't wait for the complete 90 minute cycle. Because the mixing takes 30 minutes and 60 minutes are the rest cycle to let the dough rise. So what I do is remove or rather pour the dough out after 30 mnutes into a large plastic container and cover it with a wrap. In about 2.5 to 3 hours it will triple in volume. After that I divide the dough into small posrtions usually 3 and set them after roughly shaping them, onto the flat pan and let it rise for about an hour or so and then bake.

HTH

 

Edith Pilaf's picture
Edith Pilaf

The 30 minute mix in the bread machine should be comparable to the 20 minutes of mixing in the Kitchenaid.  But if you're making the Jason recipe, as opposed to some variation thereof, make sure you let it rise til triple in volume, which generally takes at least 2 hours in my kitchen.  I'm not sure why this is crucial, but once I let it double and not triple, just like my other breads, and the crumb turned out like most other breads, and not like big holey ciabatta.

LauraB's picture
LauraB

Thanks very much for your feedback. I have a big pot of soup simmering away on the stove tonight to have for lunch tomorrow, so I'm going to give the ciabatta a go tomorrow - I think I'm going to go with the bread machine for mixing. Will check in tomorrow, hopefully with good news...wish me luck!!

Laura