Ciabatta

I've been on an artisan bread kick lately. This was my kick-off. It takes a really long time to make, but it's not time consuming (if that makes any sense). The kids LOVED it and have begged me to make it again! :)

**The Biga Starter:

1 1/2 tsp yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
3 cups unbleached flour

Mix the yeast with a little of the water. Sift flour into a bowl and slowly add the yeast mixture. Begin to mix by hand, and gradually add more of the water until you have a nice, firm dough. Knead on a floured surface for 5 minutes, until smooth. Return dough to the bowl and cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap. Let sit in a nice warm place for 12-15 hours.

**The Dough:

3 tsp yeast
1 2/3 c lukewarm water
1/4 lukewarm soymilk
5 c unbleached flour (half and half works well, too)
2 tsp salt
3 Tbsp Olive Oil

Mix yeast with a little of the water to make it creamy, then add the rest of the water. Add this yeast mixture to the Biga Starter, and mix well (again, by hand!). Mix in the milk, beating thoroughly, this time with a wooden spoon (hey, I was going for authentic here). Mix in the flour by hand for 15 minutes, lifting the dough, to make a very wet mixture. Add in the salt and olive oil. Cover with slightly oiled plastic wrapt and let rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Transfer the dough to two or three floured cookie sheet. Use a spoon to do this, and try not to punch it down! Shape carefully into long loaves, about an inch or so thick. Sprinkle with flour, and let rise for another 30 minutes. Then, bake at 425F for about 25-30 minutes until golden brown. This stuff is so worth the effort!!

Italian Breadsticks

Another of my mother's famous recipes. I just can't have spaghetti without these! Absolutely the most fantastic breadsticks ever!

3 c warm water
1 Tbsp yeast
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp oil
1 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp flax meal
4 c whole wheat flour
2-3 c unbleached white flour

1 cube butter
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 Tbsp parsley
Parmesan Cheese

Combine first five ingredients in a bread mixer. Add flour and flax until dough leaves the sides of the bowl. Knead by mixer for 5 more minutes. Let rise until double. Punch down, roll out to about 1/2 inch thick. Cut into about 1" strips (I use a pizza cutter. Makes for fast and accurate work!).



Melt butter in a 9x13 pan in the oven. Add garlic and parsley. Dip strips of dough into the melted butter/garlic/parsley mixture and twist strips. Lay down in pan and repeat with remaining strips. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top. Bake at 400F/204C for about 25 minutes, until breadsticks are browned on top. Makes 1/2 to 2 pans of breadsticks!

(**I also use this recipe for Hungarian scones and pizza dough! For the scones, make exactly like the breadsticks, except you cut the strips shorter and thicker--2"x4" perhaps. Then, you deep fry it! Serve hot with butter, jam and/or honey, or roll in cinnamon and sugar! Fantastic stuff!)