Reviewed: Nov. 11, 2009

These were delicious and not difficult to make. Yes, the recipe takes quite a while. I let my sponge sit about 14 hours before beginning the bread. I left one loaf plain and sprinkled one with a mixture of parm and garlic. I finally used my pizza stone for this recipe. It wasn't big enough for both loaves, so I also used a preheated airbake cookie sheet and switched the loaves halfway through. My husband ate most of one loaf with dinner. Thanks for a keeper!

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Pam-3BoysMama

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Monroeville, Pennsylvania, USA

Living In: New Castle, Pennsylvania, USA

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Reviewed: Oct. 19, 2009

This was great! I made the starter about 14 hours before mixing with remaining ingredients. The flavor was outstanding! I did 2 loaves, one with garlic and parmesan on top, the other plain. Both were a hit! This is real ciabatta and it is great! note: I didn't use a stone, but I baked it at 425 for 18 minutes and it was beautifully done.

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hannah234432

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Cedar Falls, Iowa, USA

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Reviewed: Aug. 13, 2009

Wonderful! Just let it raise on the baking sheet; as I don't have a stone; and found the first time I'd tried to make this; sliding it onto a preheated baking tray deflated the loaves a bit. Spritzed it with water a good few times while baking (about 4-5); tried it in muffin tins as 'rolls', did baguettes; as well as a full sized loaf; hubby's eaten nearly the full sized loaf all by himself - will absolutely make again!

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Bengali

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Reviewed: Jul. 27, 2009

This recipe made a really delicious bread that I will definitely be making again. I do not have a baking stone, so I used the method I use for pizza - simply pre-heat a baking sheet and use the parchment paper to move the dough across. I am used to ciabatta with a more sour flavour, so next time I will let the starter sit longer and maybe in a warmer place. We had this with homemade pesto spread on it and the traditional olive oil and balsamic vinegar dip.

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Louiselombard

Cooking Level: Expert

Living In: Westville, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa

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Reviewed: May 27, 2009

Wonderful! I made 1 big loaf out of the recipe so I could make sandwiches. I have never tried making ciabatta before and this recipe couldn't have turned out better. Will definitely make again.

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rosenk

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Reviewed: May 23, 2009

I have fallen in love with making bread these past few months, and this is the best recipe I have have found, by far. I have made at least 12 loaves with this, and every time I make it, my roommates/friends devour it instantly. I have modified it a little, though. I found the original recipe to be too dry for my tastes when it came out of the over, so I tripled the olive oil, and it came out moist and delicious. Add more oil to the recipe and you're in great shape. I love this bread!

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freshfromtheoven

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Reviewed: Apr. 14, 2009

I made this today,using all ap flour and gave the starter/sponge about 7-8 hours, used a tad bit more water. It turned out pretty good, my friends, hubby and brothers polished off almost a whole loaf within 10 minutes of being out of the oven. I omited the baking stone/parchment step. after the first rise i transfered the dough to an oiled 10 x 10 pampered chef stone baking pan and let it rise again before baking. Next time i think i will give starter/sponge much more time for more of that tangy flavour. I've already got my second sponge started! Thanks for a great recipe!Can't wait to try it with stews and soups! update: turned out better second time around-gave starter 15 hours. Dough was stickier which attributed to more of that holey ciabatta texture. Also had a more developed tangy hint. Perfect for sandwiches!

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Charlotte

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Reviewed: Mar. 31, 2009

WOW !!! I am not bread maker, but my family sure thought I was. What a great texture inside and out. I will definitely be making this again.

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thesignodeguy

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Gladstone, Missouri, USA

Living In: Kilkenny, Minnesota, USA

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Reviewed: Mar. 15, 2009

This was a great recipe! I'm never very exact with the flour measurement for bread recipes, for this recipe simple add flour until the dough is sticky, but pulls from the side of the bowl. Also, I added an extra tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil - just for flavor, as well as an extra teaspoon of salt. I've tried this recipe with garlic powder, and whenever I do that I press a sprig of rosemary onto the top. That always wows the guests :). Also, I didn't have a baking stone at the time (I usually use a ceramic unglazed tile that costs about 45 cents!) so I simple baked it on a barely-oiled cookie sheet. It worked just fine! I just had to remember to remove it from the pan and place it on a rack once I got it from the oven, otherwise the bottom sogs up. Great recipe!

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Doha F.

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Reviewed: Mar. 11, 2009

very very good--bake 30 mins for really crusty-yum-yum-

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GNFSHN4

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Polo, Illinois, USA

Living In: Rock Falls, Illinois, USA

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Reviewed: Feb. 23, 2009

Fabulous recipe!! I have never made this before, and it worked quite well and the bread was amazing. I made smaller rolls so that I could use them for sandwiches. For me, I was satisfied with the parchment paper on metal baking sheet, they came out beautiful...I baked them for 12 minutes on the top oven rack. Can't wait to eat more!!

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RainbowGirl

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Reviewed: Feb. 17, 2009

I really enjoyed this - was my first bread recipe that used a sponge. I was surprised to read peoples "sticky" comments - I found the sponge to be like playdough and the dough just seemed normal. I have another sponge going right now, so I'll be more careful with my measurements. Absolutely delicious. I made a big fat turkey/swiss/avocado sandwich and loved every bite!!~

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Julie

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Saginaw, Michigan, USA

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Reviewed: Jan. 21, 2009

Definitely a wet dough, but the loaves came out wonderfully.

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D

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Reviewed: Jan. 20, 2009

I've only tried this once. I put it in the oven during preheat and the bread came out very flat. Still yummy bread regardless of appearance. Want to try again.

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Liz

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Reviewed: Dec. 25, 2008

This was my first time attempting to make this delicious bread to accompany a soup. The result was fantastic. A little time consuming, but all the more worthwhile. A perfect recipe to bake and take to a friend's house. It keeps well and was wonderful fresh out of the oven or sliced and toasted a few days later.

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Andrea

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Reviewed: Oct. 6, 2008

Good, very time consuming though.

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JStoddard

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Warner Robins, Georgia, USA

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Reviewed: Sep. 7, 2008

what a great recipe! I have been 'feeding' and caring for the original sponge when I first made this recipe for over a month now. my BF asks me to make 'that wonderful bread' again and again. so easy, now that the sponge is in the fridge! and you only need take it out a day or so ahead. I just can't rave enough about this. would give it ten stars if I could! :) thanks so much for sharing this fantastic recipe!

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rhymeswith16

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Napa, California, USA

Living In: Houston, Texas, USA

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Reviewed: Aug. 16, 2008

Superb! I love the texture of the bread.

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Robyn

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA

Living In: Vancouver, Washington, USA

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Reviewed: Aug. 3, 2008

Delicious! Next time we will knead it longer for a airier texture as others have suggested. As the loaves were cooling down, I drizzled the tops with butter and added a bit of salt. We can't wait to make this again.

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BSA650

Cooking Level: Intermediate

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Reviewed: Jul. 28, 2008

This is a wonderful bread recipe. However, as written, I cannot seem to get the airy/puffy texture associated with this type of bread. I have tried the recipe twice as it is written. According to a person familiar with bread-baking, the dough must be kneaded for quite some time to get the airy texture. So, in my quest to achieve the perfect consistency, I intend to knead/rise/knead/rise/shape/rise/bake. I'll see if the additional "knead/rise" adds some puff to the bread. Thanks for the recipe. It's a keeper.

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