Whole-grain Ciabatta Bread(or Rolls)

Total Time: 45 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• 1 cup lukewarm water
• 1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1/3 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour (i use 1/2 cup and use 1/2 cup less bread flour)
• 1/2 cup oat bran
• 2 -2 1/2 cups bread flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons cornmeal

Recipe

• 1 in large bowl, combine water and yeast; stir and let stand for 10 minutes. when yeast is bubbly, add milk, olive oil, whole-wheat flour, oat bran, ½ cup bread flour, and salt and beat for 2 minutes. cover and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
• 2 add enough remaining bread flour to make a soft dough; beat for 1 minute. cover bowl and let rise for 1 hour.
• 3 remove dough to lightly floured surface (dough will be soft and sticky). grease two 4′ × 10′ shapes on a large cookie sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal. divide dough in half and shape into two 3′ × 9′ rectangles on the greased areas of the cookie sheet. let rise for 30 minutes.
• 4 preheat oven to 400ºf. place a 9′ pan filled with ½′ of water on bottom rack. bake bread on middle rack for 20–30 minutes or until loaves are light golden brown and sound hollow when tapped with fingers. cool on wire rack.
• 5 yields 2 loaves; 8 servings.
• 6 for rolls:.
• 7 2 tablespoons olive oil.
• 8 3 tablespoons cornmeal.
• 9 prepare whole wheat ciabatta bread through the first rising. punch down dough and turn onto lightly floured surface.
• 10 divide dough into 6 portions. using floured fingers, shape each portion into a 3′ × 3′ rectangle.
• 11 grease six 4′ × 4′ squares on a cookie sheet with olive oil and sprinkle with cornmeal. place dough onto each cornmeal coated square. drizzle with remaining olive oil.
• 12 let rise in warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. preheat oven to 425ºf.
• 13 bake rolls for 10–15 minutes or until very light brown. turn off oven and prop open oven door. let rolls stand in oven for another 5 minutes. then remove from oven and let cool on wire racks.
• 14 yields 6 rolls.
• 15 note:.
• 16 creating steam when baking bread.
• 17 adding steam to the oven when baking bread makes a crisper, thicker crust. there are several ways to do this. you can place a pan with some water in it on the rack below the bread. you can also spritz the loaves with water a few times while the bread is baking. the steam helps keep the bread softer longer, so the crust develops more slowly.