Should ciabatta sandwich rolls be dry and dense?
I found a recipe calling for ciabatta sandwich rolls. My supermarket sells these, baked in their bakery, however, I found this bread dry and dense, which I do not find appealing. Should this kind of bread have this quality?
Best Answer
Ciabatta should be crusty, with a chewy crumb and big air pockets. Neither "dry" nor "dense" would be adjectives one would associate with good ciabatta.
This is what good ciabatta should look like:
Source: Michael Ruhlman (highly respected recipe and author)
Sometimes the loaves may be flatter, but the chewiness, big air pockets, and crustiness are what define good ciabatta.
Source: Brown Eyed Baker
If you can't find good ciabatta at your store, would you consider making your own? Both of the above links have highly regarded recipes. The Brown Eyed Baker link will lead you to the same recipe as in the video I'm about to mention.
I have had great luck with America's Test Kitchen's ciabatta recipe and video, but it only shows the forming of loaves, not rolls. This recipe describes a method for shaping ciabatta rolls. I really appreciated the video since I had never before dealt with a dough so "wet" (80% hydration, nearly pourable). ATK offers a 14 day free trial, so I'd recommend trying it and checking out that video. These pictures are from my first ciabatta from ATK's recipe:
I was very pleased, I followed every little fussy step in the video. That broke it down into manageable chunks, and made it seem easy.
Pictures about "Should ciabatta sandwich rolls be dry and dense?"
Why is my ciabatta so dense?
Make sure that your dough is not too wet or too dry, both extremes will result in a dense crumb. You can check to see if you are using the right amount of water for the type of flour you use (click here to check). And make sure you are measuring using the scoop-and-sweep method, click here for a video of that.Is a ciabatta roll hard or soft?
These rolls are soft and airy inside, with that perfect crunchy, crackly crust. They are also real easy to prepare, like 10 minute no-kneading kind of easy.How do you moisten dry ciabatta bread?
Wrap the bread in a damp (not soaking) towel, place on a baking sheet, and pop it in the oven for 5-10 minutes. In the microwave: Wrap the bread in a damp (not soaking) towel, place it on a microwave-safe dish, and microwave on high for 10 seconds. Check and repeat if necessary.Is ciabatta bread supposed to be hard?
Baked with a hard crust, Ciabatta bread contains a soft-textured, open to dense crumb. The bread is typically identified by its shape, which is that of a slipper, and thus the meaning of the word "ciabatta" in Italian.The best Ciabatta sandwiches: McMuffin, BLTA \u0026 Italian
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Nikolett Emmert, Nikolett Emmert, Nikolett Emmert, Skylar Kang