What is Multigrain Ciabatta?
Multigrain ciabatta is a variation on this traditional Italian bread. The ingredients are simple wheat flour, water, olive oil, salt, and yeast. The loaf is flatter and therefore each slice is oblong. Ciabatta has more holes and a harder crust. It is used for toast and open-faced sandwiches as well as regular sandwiches. Multigrain ciabatta may contain seeds such as sunflower, flax, and sesame.
Ingredients
All purpose flour comes from wheat and though wheat is cultivated all around the world today, it was first cultivated in Turkey 10,000 years ago. All purpose flour is white in color and has a soft texture. This incredibly versatile flour is used in everything from breads, cakes, pastries, crackers, pasta, sauces and much more because of its pleasing and mild flavor that is slightly nutty and buttery. The gluten protein is what helps hold together breads and other products, part of what makes all purpose wheat flour so popular.
Water is a substance and chemical compound made up of hydrogen and oxygen. It is clear, fluid, flavorless and odorless. Water is a necessity in nearly every aspect of life, including cooking, baking and hydrating the human body. Water can be served as a cold beverage, or at any temperature comfortable to the mouth and skin.
Rye is a grain in the wheat family and is used for baked goods, beer and distilled alcohols. Rye is a grain that produces a darker bread than a fully wheat based bread. The flour is finely milled and has a pale tan/cream color. The flavor is earthy, nutty and full with a hint of sweetness. Rye flour makes hearty, dark loaves of European style bread.
Rice flour is made by grinding the rice grain. Rice flour can be made using white or brown rice, though white rice flour is used far more frequently than brown rice flour. White rice flour is white and fine like a wheat flour, but has a coarser and drier texture. Rice flour made from glutinous rice has a much finer texture and is almost like a powder. White rice flour can be used for baked goods, as well as pan-cooked flatbreads. It is useful in many savory and sweet applications. The flavor is bland.
Cornstarch is obtained from the endosperm of the corn kernel. This is the main body and juicy part of the kernel. Cornstarch is a fine, white powder with a squeaky texture and neutral flavor. It is used in many foods, particularly in America. Cornstarch makes an easy thickener for liquids, such as sauces and an excellent binding agent for baked goods. In the 1800's cornstarch was used for starching laundry, making the clothing appear stiff and professional.
Sunflower seeds come from the sunflower, a tall flower with a huge face. The seeds cover the face of the sunflower and are small grey and shaped into thin teardrops with a flat bottom and pointed top. The flavor is mild and nutty and when toasted becomes richer and a bit oily from the heat. Sunflower seeds are a popular snack, topping and additional ingredient to salads.
Flax seeds are tiny seeds from the flax plant. These seeds are about half the size or less, of an apple seed. There are two common varieties of flax, golden and brown. The golden flax is tan colored and the brown is a medium chocolate shade. Each has a mild sheen and are shaped like slightly flattened teardrops. The flavor is nutty, strong and tastes a bit like linseed. Flax seeds act as a binder in baked goods and because of this is sometimes used in place of eggs to hold dough and batter together. They are a common seed used to top breads and rolls.
Sesame seeds are the tiny oblong seeds from the flowering sesame plant. They are between 3 to 4 mm long and 2 mm in width. They are generally off white or black, with some that are a medium shade of brown. The flavor of the sesame seed is nutty and earthy. When roasted, these tastes come through strongly and provide a savory garnish to many East Asian dishes. Sesame seeds are also found in Western cuisine.
Oat flour is an alternative grain-based flour made from whole rolled oats. This product makes a good alternative to low gluten options, but due to processing in the same facilities that mill wheat, it may not be gluten-free. The flour is cream-colored and has a very fine and soft texture that retains moisture when baked. The flavor is gently sweet and grain-like. Oat flour is often used in sweet foods and can be used in savory dishes.
Vegetable oil is obtained by extracting oil from seeds. Types of vegetable oil include canola, sunflower, corn, and safflower. Light and with a neutral taste, vegetable oils are used to fry foods, or can be used to lightly coat meats and vegetables before roasting. Vegetable oils are also used as ingredients in salad dressings and sauces.
Sugar comes from sugar cane and sugar beets. The sugar is extracted from the juice of both plants and refined into the granulated substance known as sugar. Sucrose, the sweet substance of sugar is a combination of glucose and fructose. White sugar is composed of tiny white, dry granules. The flavor is sweet and neutral. Brown sugar is brown and has more moisture, with a richer flavor that hints at molasses. Sugar is used in both sweet and savory foods.
Yeast is a single celled organism used in food and beverage production. It both naturally occurs and is added in to certain foods such as breads, beer and wine. Specific kinds of yeast are used to add depth of flavor to savory foods. Yeast is usually sold as tiny beige granules. It leavens bread, ferments beer and imparts a satisfying umami flavor.
Salt is a mineral composed mostly of sodium chloride. It is the main flavoring used in food and is naturally occurring in certain foods, such as cheese, beets, meat and celery, plus many others. Salt is white and has finer granules than sugar. Many commercial salts include iodide, while others exclude it. Most salts are white, while some are naturally pale pink with minerals. Salt brings out the flavor of something and can create a tangy mouthfeel, if used in excess.
