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Grandma’s Ciabatta Bread (Made With Whey)

This no-knead ciabatta bread is a whiz to whip up and heavenly to eat!

This ciabatta bread is a whiz to whip up and heavenly to eat!

I was telling my grandmother one day that I had almost a gallon of fresh whey leftover from a cheese making project and didn’t know what to do with all of it and she suggested that I use her family’s bread recipe. She told me that after her mother was finished making cheese, she would set aside a little whey to bake bread with and give the rest to her chickens (whey gives chickens added protein for egg production). I had no idea that she had a bread recipe that used whey. It just goes to show that our ancestors certainly have a lot to teach us still. Since she shared this recipe with me, I (of course) would like to share it with all of you.

On a side note, the whey really activates the dough, so get ready! I read that the yeast love the presence of the lactose and sugar in the whey and that is why is rises so well. I can see why this recipe has been in my recipe for so long, it’s definitely a keeper.

Happy Baking!

Grandma’s Ciabatta Bread Made From Whey

  • 2 cups of whey
  • 5 cups bread flour
  • 1 teaspoon of dry active yeast
  • 3 tablespoons of sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
  • 2 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter
  1. In a small saucepan, melt butter and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients together and then knead the dough for about 5 minutes.
  3. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the dough to sit at least 8 hours or overnight.
  4. After dough has risen, sprinkle flour on a work surface and shape the dough.
  5. Place the dough onto a greased baking tray. Sprinkle on a little more flour and cut a few shallow, diagonal slashes into the top of the bread.
  6. Bake the bread in a 375 degrees F (190C) oven for 40 minutes or until it is golden brown.

This article was originally published at Ready Nutrition™ on February 13th, 2017