Ciabatta

On Tue 15 Feb 2005 02:37:19p, Gal Called J.J. wrote in rec.food.cooking:

Quoted message said:

Yesterday, I discovered ciabatta rolls at my local stupidmarket.
If you're not familiar with them, here's a photo I found on the
web:

http://www.breadcafe.com/bread.html#ciabatta

To be sure, these are all beautiful looking breads, but I've never seen more
rediculous prices in my life.

Thank God I can bake!

Wayne

A person would have to have rocks in their head to pay that much for a
loaf of bread. I've seen those Artisan breads at Kroger for no more
than $2.99 a loaf.

On Tue 15 Feb 2005 07:39:11p, Fifo wrote in rec.food.cooking:

Quoted message said:

djs0302 said:

A person would have to have rocks in their head to pay that much for a
loaf of bread. I've seen those Artisan breads at Kroger for no more
than $2.99 a loaf.

The price is for several loaves actually. I counted 9.

The price is for several _rolls_, not _loaves_. A bit much for a bun!

Wayne

Wayne Boatwright <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

On Tue 15 Feb 2005 02:37:19p, Gal Called J.J. wrote in
rec.food.cooking:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

http://www.breadcafe.com/bread.html#ciabatta

Thank God I can bake!

I, too, can bake ciabatta. I only know this because I made it by accident
when trying to make pane toscano 😉

K
--
nil illegitimi carborundum

"djs0302" wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

A person would have to have rocks in their head to pay that much for a
loaf of bread. I've seen those Artisan breads at Kroger for no more
than $2.99 a loaf.

I know this isn't exactly what this thread is about but the other day I
figured out how much it cost me in ingredients to make my own bread. A two
pound loaf cost me approximately forty cents. I might be somewhat biased,
but I think the bread I bake is better than anything I could buy locally. I
guess one could consider someone nuts for paying $2.99 for something they
could make at a fraction of the cost, and probably make better. <g>

-Mike

One time on Usenet said:

Wayne Boatwright <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

On Tue 15 Feb 2005 02:37:19p, Gal Called J.J. wrote in
rec.food.cooking:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Yesterday, I discovered ciabatta rolls at my local stupidmarket.
If you're not familiar with them, here's a photo I found on the
web:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

http://www.breadcafe.com/bread.html#ciabatta

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

To be sure, these are all beautiful looking breads, but I've never
seen more rediculous prices in my life.

Thank God I can bake!

Quoted message said:

The breads look delicious but I can get ciabatta at Straubs and probably
Breadsmiths if I ask for it at much less expense. I can't bake but my bread
machine and local baker can 😉

I think I gave people the impression that I've shopped at the
bakery in the link I posted -- quite the contrary, I got my ciabatta
rolls at Fred Meyer (Kroger), 2 for $1.00. I just liked the photo
on the website...

--
J.J. in WA ~ mom, vid gamer, novice cook ~
"You still haven't explained why the pool is
filled with elf blood." - Frylock, ATHF

Wayne Boatwright said:

On Tue 15 Feb 2005 07:39:11p, Fifo wrote in rec.food.cooking:

Quoted message said:

djs0302 said:

A person would have to have rocks in their head to pay that much

for a

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

loaf of bread. I've seen those Artisan breads at Kroger for no

more

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

than $2.99 a loaf.

The price is for several loaves actually. I counted 9.

The price is for several _rolls_, not _loaves_. A bit much for a

bun!

Quoted message said:

Wayne

I guess on second check it seems that for the wonderful price of $29.99
you get 8 buns of Cabiatta and three loaves (at least judging from the
picture) of Jelepeno, Garlick and Sesame breads.

My local Ciabatta breads from Acme Bakery (Chez Panisse alumnus),
Semifreddis and Grace bakeries cost around $3 as well. They are pretty
darned good, much better than the Safeway house brand artisan breads,
which are mediocre at best. Yes, I could bake ciabatta but my recipe
takes a couple of days (Peter Reinhart's recipe) and lately I don't
have the focus, what with chemotherapy and all. Also, I doubt I could
make better ciabatta than Steve Sullivan and the folks at Acme, even
though I use really good organic bread flour, own a baking stone, and
have learned a few tricks from Peter Reinhart.

People in foodie cities and towns in the USA have access to top quality
breads for reasonable prices. The time and cost savings of baking only
matter if you can't get decent bread at your store, you are on a tight
budget, or you just like to bake bread as a hobby.

I may get back to my bread hobby but with a low carb husband it's not
in the immediate future.

Leila

Ok, thanks for the clarification! Still it's fair to criticize the
bakery.

Leila

Woah - I see from the link that you buy these breads frozen and bake
them yourself. What prices! Way too much in my opinion. Maybe that
reflects their costs but it's not worth it to me under any
circumstances.

A good ciabatta needs a super hot oven and some other tricks of the
trade. In another post I said I'd buy ciabatta bread before I'd bother
making it - but I wouldn't buy this stuff. My food processor and I can
whip up the sourdough, the sponge, and take the dough through its
several day process in the time it would take for the frozen dough to
get to me from Denver.

Some of their recipes remind me of breads from the Cheese Board and
Arizmendi, the bakery collectives here in Oakland and Berkeley.

$5 a loaf plus shipping for frozen bread dough? Sorry, no sale.

Leila

"Leila" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Woah - I see from the link that you buy these breads frozen and bake
them yourself. What prices! Way too much in my opinion. Maybe that
reflects their costs but it's not worth it to me under any
circumstances.

A good ciabatta needs a super hot oven and some other tricks of the
trade. In another post I said I'd buy ciabatta bread before I'd bother
making it - but I wouldn't buy this stuff. My food processor and I can
whip up the sourdough, the sponge, and take the dough through its
several day process in the time it would take for the frozen dough to
get to me from Denver.

Some of their recipes remind me of breads from the Cheese Board and
Arizmendi, the bakery collectives here in Oakland and Berkeley.

$5 a loaf plus shipping for frozen bread dough? Sorry, no sale.

Leila

Hello,
Leila, my best to you with the chemotherapy treatments. Hope your strength
will come back sooner than you expect.

Costco & I believe BJ's sell the ciabatta's. I believe they are $3.99 for a
2 lb. package, which makes it cheaper than English muffins, E.M. which I
find are getting to be more and more poor quality -- is that just me? I buy
them now and then for my husband, but I pass on them.
I asked at the Costco bakery (in Virginia) about the ciabattas and they say
they get the dough from the La Brea Bakery (I believe this at one time the
La Brea Bakery was written on the package if it is not now).
I found that at another discount store, BJ's in NY or PA, that they sell
the Ecco Panis bread (is that the correct name) but I don't know if it is
sold already baked by E.P, or the BJ's store bake it at their BJ's store.
If one is not baking themself, I think this is quite a buy for a decent
bread.
I was picking up a package of the ciabatta (in VA) and a guy remarked to me
that this was the best bread he had ever eaten.
Dee

Gal Called J.J. said:

Yesterday, I discovered ciabatta rolls at my local stupidmarket.
If you're not familiar with them, here's a photo I found on the
web:

http://www.breadcafe.com/bread.html#ciabatta

or

http://tinyurl.com/6wx9e

You have to click on the word "ciabatta" to get the photo to pop
up. I put mayo, horseradish, and lean roast beef on mine, yum...

After looking at that picture, I realized that I had had one before, but I
wasn't all that thrilled! The crust was very hard (which I like), the bread
was really chewy (which I like), but it was so darn dry! It sucked all the
life out of the ham and cheese I warmed it up with (I even warmed it to
"loosen" it a little), but it was very hard and dry -
stick-in-your-throat-kind. I guess the stuff I had wasn't made well? I
was happy when a few pieces started getting moldy after a day or so and then
I made croutons with the good stuff. Made excellent croutons!

kili

One time on Usenet said:

Gal Called J.J. said:

Yesterday, I discovered ciabatta rolls at my local stupidmarket.
If you're not familiar with them, here's a photo I found on the
web:

http://www.breadcafe.com/bread.html#ciabatta

or

http://tinyurl.com/6wx9e

You have to click on the word "ciabatta" to get the photo to pop
up. I put mayo, horseradish, and lean roast beef on mine, yum...

After looking at that picture, I realized that I had had one before, but I
wasn't all that thrilled! The crust was very hard (which I like), the bread
was really chewy (which I like), but it was so darn dry! It sucked all the
life out of the ham and cheese I warmed it up with (I even warmed it to
"loosen" it a little), but it was very hard and dry -
stick-in-your-throat-kind. I guess the stuff I had wasn't made well? I
was happy when a few pieces started getting moldy after a day or so and then
I made croutons with the good stuff. Made excellent croutons!

I'm sorry your experience was so bad, Kili -- you must have gotten
some bad ciabatta. The ones I've been getting are definitely crusty
and chewy (I love that too), but not dry at all...

--
J.J. in WA ~ mom, vid gamer, novice cook ~
"You still haven't explained why the pool is
filled with elf blood." - Frylock, ATHF

Dee Randall wrote:
I believe they are $3.99 for a

Quoted message said:

2 lb. package, which makes it cheaper than English muffins, E.M. which I
find are getting to be more and more poor quality -- is that just me? I buy
them now and then for my husband, but I pass on them.

I know you didn't ask for this but... I used to
make this English Muffin Loaf years ago and recall
it tasted quite good. Just slice and toast.

* Exported from MasterCook *

English Muffin Loaf

Recipe By : Fleishmann's Yeast Co.
Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Breads
Breakfast

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation
Method
-------- ------------
--------------------------------
6 cups unsifted flour
2 packages active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups milk
1/2 cup water
cornmeal

Combine 3 cups flour, yeast, sugar, salt and
baking soda. Heat milk and water until very warm.
Add to dry ingredients and beat well. Stir in the
remaining 3 cups of flour to make a stiff batter.
Spoon into 2 loaf pans that have been greased and
sprinkled with cornmeal. Sprinkle tops with
cornmeal. Cover: let rise in a warm place, free
from draft, for 45 min.
Bake at 400 for 25 min. Remove from pans and cool.

To make in Microwave:
prepare as directed except reduce the white flour
by 1 cup when stirring in the second addition of
flour to make a stiff batter. Spoon batter into
two loaf dishes that are greased and sprinkled
with cornmeal. Rise as directed.
Microwave each loaf on high for 6 min 30 seconds.
Allow to rest for 5 min before removing from pans.

To serve slice and toast:

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - -

We get bread delivered from a bakery where I work. They do a nice
baguette, ciabatta, pugliase, olive bread, etc. The baguettes come in 3
thicknesses with the thinnest having the highest crust: bread ratio and
the thickest having the lowest. The ciabatta has a pleasant lumpy
rectangular shape and a soft chewy crust. Other than the differences in
crust and shape, I'm sure I couldn't tell them apart and believe the
bakery uses the same dough mix for all. I'm convinced that the
difference comes from the way they're shaped and the way the crust is
treated. I'm not complaining. They're all good.

--Lia

Mike Pearce said:

"djs0302" wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

A person would have to have rocks in their head to pay that much for

a

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

loaf of bread. I've seen those Artisan breads at Kroger for no

more

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

than $2.99 a loaf.

I know this isn't exactly what this thread is about but the other day

I

Quoted message said:

figured out how much it cost me in ingredients to make my own bread.

A two

Quoted message said:

pound loaf cost me approximately forty cents. I might be somewhat

biased,

Quoted message said:

but I think the bread I bake is better than anything I could buy

locally. I

Quoted message said:

guess one could consider someone nuts for paying $2.99 for something

they

Quoted message said:

could make at a fraction of the cost, and probably make better. <g>

-Mike

Only if you attach no value to your time\labor. If you ejoy doing it =
great. If value your time at anything more than $1/hour - it's not such
a good deal.

"Fifo" wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Mike Pearce wrote:

Quoted message said:

I

Quoted message said:

figured out how much it cost me in ingredients to make my own bread.

A two

Quoted message said:

pound loaf cost me approximately forty cents. I might be somewhat

biased,

Quoted message said:

but I think the bread I bake is better than anything I could buy

locally. I

Quoted message said:

guess one could consider someone nuts for paying $2.99 for something

they

Quoted message said:

could make at a fraction of the cost, and probably make better. <g>

-Mike

Only if you attach no value to your time\labor. If you ejoy doing it =
great. If value your time at anything more than $1/hour - it's not such
a good deal.

Well, yeah. Of course I enjoy doing it. Since I work at home I can do the
small amount of hands on time it takes to make bread during "breaks", so
it's not really eating into my time all that much. Making bread really takes
only a half hour or so of active time the remainder of the time is waiting
for the dough to do it's thing, unless you count the time you spend thinking
about it.

-Mike