One day I was was feeling too lazy to make lunch, and the Starbucks around the corner from me came to mind. At first, I remembered the café vanilla frapuccinnos I used to have with my cousin (although I had to look up what it was called again), which I hadn’t had in almost a decade at that point. Long story short: I had a turkey and pesto panini (no cheese), which they serve on ciabatta rolls. I figured I could make the whole thing myself, and having sandwiches for lunch sounded like a great idea. That’s how we landed here.
Making ciabatta rolls
The recipe I initially used for this is one of those great recipes that don’t need to be altered. Not only that, but there is a Youtube tutorial to go along with it. I especially liked it because it yields 6 rolls, which is the perfect amount. Below are some notes on how I made them or what I would change next time.
What the process consists of
Making these rolls is not necessarily difficult, but it does require some technique and patience. The overall process consists of 3 different rises, each with its own purpose. Instead of kneading, a stretch and fold method is used to activate the gluten. The rolls are then dusted in flour, and baked in a steamy oven. This is just a brief overview, and is all demonstrated very well in the video.
Notes
Even though the recipe is great as is, there are always little tweaks I’ve made that I would like to remember for next time. Below are the notes I will use when making future batches:
- I used between 1/2 tsp. and 3/4 tsp. of salt. My salt is very fine and therefore more compact. If using regular salt, I think the recipe is fine as written.
- I weighed my ingredients like the recipe suggests, and plan to continue doing it this way.
Conclusion
These ciabatta rolls are soft, chewy, and flavorful. They not only can hold their own against a restaurant or store-bought roll, but are ultimately better because they don’t have preservatives. I hope to find or develop a spelt/whole wheat version, but this will certainly do for now. I am excited to make sandwiches topped with pesto, tuna, and sundried tomatoes, or maybe some falafel and yogurt sauce! Who knows.
Have you ever had ciabatta rolls? What do you like about them? Let me know in the comments!
