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 [1] 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 [2], 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
- In a small saucepan, melt butter and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients together and then knead the dough for about 5 minutes.
- Cover with plastic wrap and allow the dough to sit at least 8 hours or overnight.
- After dough has risen, sprinkle flour on a work surface and shape the dough.
- 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.
- Bake the bread in a 375 degrees F (190C) oven for 40 minutes or until it is golden brown.