Checkout the Ciabatta Roundup of beautiful loaves from the Bread Baking Babes and Buddies.
I was the host kitchen for the Bread Baking Babes this month. I always enjoy being the hostess because you get to see how the other bakers take your idea and put their spin on it. I’m never disappointed.
The bread I chose this month was a bit tricky due to the high hydration, but the Babes and Buddies did a wonderful job. Just look at all of the fabulous ciabatta slippers. I love all of the substitutions they made. It makes me want to make these loaves again and try out some of the different variations.
Here is the Ciabatta the Babes made:
Lien
of Notitie van Lien made her version with the prunes and flaxseeds. She said, “You can add whatever is in your cupboard or what you like. I liked this combination a lot, but next time I think I will add a mixture of seeds and no fruit, so it goes better with a (Italian) meal.” Good idea!
Elle of Feeding My Enthusiasms made her “slipper bread” (aka Ciabbata) with a 7-grain blend instead of the rye flour and dried cranberries instead of prunes. She said, “I made three loaves and they looked fine and tasted even better. Would have been even better with the rye flour (which I discovered I was out of) but I really liked the dried cranberries. Sweetie ate half of the first loaf he liked it so much.” I like the looks of those dried cranberries.
Tanna of My Kitchen in Half Cups made her loaves with dried black olives. She said, “no plums or prunes here but there were gorgeous dried black olives. Perfect for wine and cheese! Really this was astronomically wonderful.” I’m so glad you enjoyed these loaves.
Elizabeth of blog from Our Kitchen made the ciabatta, and she incorporated a new shaping technique: a ring with braids. She did a fabulous job with this high hydration dough. Hey Elizabeth, prunes, dried plums… you say tomato, I say, well you know.
Here are my Rustic Ciabatta with Dried Plums and Flaxseeds. Considering how wet this dough was, I thought it was fairly easy to work with. Although it was a challenge moving it from the couche to the baking stone, but the loaves survived.
Now for the loaves the Bread Baking Buddies made:
The Buddies did it again…great loaves and wonderful variations. Yay for the Buddies and to you Cathy for picking such a great recipe.
Thanks! Everyone did a great job!
Fantastic baking by the Buddies, Thanks for being our Kitchen of the month and for this wonderful recipe Cathy!
Thanks Lien! It was my pleasure!
Prunes. They’re prunes! 😀
Great round up for a really great bread. We froze one of the loaves and just pulled it out yesterday to have toasted with bacon. It was just as fabulous as ever. Many thanks once again for choosing this recipe, Cathy. I suspect I’ll be making it often (but I’m NOT going to do that ring shaping with this slack dough again…) and I think I might try using dried grapes {snort} next time.
Dried grapes, I like that. 🙂
Hi Cathy,
Such a fun “event” to have a monthly communal bake based on one bread recipe!. Thats a great idea, I imagine there is always a really nice exchange between you when the breads are all done and photographed. Is the bread baking babes a closed group? How does one qualify to join in? of course I would be very interested, since I love to bake bread and I love to blog
thanks
Victoria
Hi Victoria, the BBBs would love for you to bake along with us. A different Babe is the hostess each month so you’ll never know what they might choose. It’s fun! You are welcome to bake along as a Buddy. You can find us on the Bread Baking Babes FB page. Just ask to join the group. The monthly bread is revealed on the 16th of each month and it is announced in the FB group. Then you have until the 29th of the month to bake and blog about it although some bakers just post a photo if they don’t blog.
Happy Baking!
Cathy
Wow, they all look terrific, I want to reach right through the screen and grab several pieces to eat with my lunch 😉 And, most importantly, they inspire me to make ciabatta.
Hi Lynn! So glad you are inspired to make some ciabatta. That means we’ve done our job!
Happy Baking!
Cathy
Wonderful round up Cathy! This was a great choice.
Thanks Karen! So glad you liked it.
Time goes by so quick!
I can’t believe that we are almost in August and I haven’t visited you earlier to say
THANK YOU for your great recipe and fantastic round up.
Looking forward to discovering your next recipe.
All the best
xxCarola
Hi Carola,
Time does just seem to fly by sometimes. So glad you enjoyed the ciabatta.
Happy Baking!
Cathy