Rosemary Ciabatta

In case you haven't figured it out by now I love bread, and I love making it even more. For the most part bread really is simple and easy to make and well worth the time it takes. You are rewarded with something fresh that you made and the smell of fresh homemade never gets old. One main reason I decided to start making bread at home was the amount of "stuff" that is put into most store bought breads. Unless you are buying bread from a local bakery and they can tell you exactly what is in it you are buying bread that is loaded with preservatives and other things that you dont want to be eating. The most basic of yeast bread has only 4 ingredients, flour, water, yeast, and salt. When is the last time you picked up a store bought bread and saw only 4 listed ingredients? And if you need a degree in chemistry to pronounce some of those ingredients put the bread down and walk away and make your own at home. The nice thing about the simple yeast bread ingredients is that you can add just about anything to it and totally transform it. Like this bread here all I added was some fresh rosemary and it takes the bread to whole new level of yumminess. Coincidentally rosemary is one of, if not my most, favorite herb. The smell of it and its flavors are just wonderful and a fresh sprig of rosemary can be used for garnishes, meat skewers, or my favorite, a brush for olive oil while grilling meats and fishes. Now that my swooning for rosemary is over lets get to the bread making. For ciabatta it really is recommended that you use a pizza stone to develop the bottom crust. You can deffinately get away with placing it on a cookie sheet just know that the bottom wont be as crusty. Bread really is a labor love for the time you have to wait but the outcome is always so worth it that it doesn't matter to me how long it takes. So enjoy and onto the good stuff, the recipe!

Ingredients

3 1/4 Cups AP Flour

1 1/2 Cups Lukewarm Water

2 1/4 tsp Yeast

2 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt

1 tsp Sugar

1 1/2- 2 tsp Fresh Chopped Rosemary

Method

1. In the bowl of your stand mixer add the lukewarm water, sugar, and yeast. Swirl the water around to make sure everything is not clumped up and to help disolve the sugar

2. While the yeast is in the water get together your flour, salt, and rosemary

3. After letting the yeast bloom for 5-10 minutes add the remaining ingredients to your bowl and mix on low with your dough hook until the ingredients begin to come together then increase the speed to medium and let mix for 2-3 minutes or until everything is well combined

4. Place dough into a well greased bowl, cover and let stand in a warm place for at least 90 minutes or until dough has doubled in size

5. Once dough has risen prepare a pizza peel by sprinkling flour onto its surface. Working with wet hands remove dough from the bowl and shape into a rough oval that is about 3/4 of an inch thick and let rest on the pizza peal

6. While dough is resting place your pizza stone in the oven and  preheat to 450 degress farenheight you will also need to place an oven proof pan on the lower rack (make sure the pan you use will be able to hold at least one glass of water)

7. When your oven has reached temperature sprinkle flour on top of the dough then fill a glass with hot tap water. Slide your dough onto the pizza stone and pour the water into the pan and quickly close the oven door

8. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until nice and brown

9. Let bread cool completely at room tempurature before slicing (its hard I know)

10. Slice, Serve, and Enjoy!