Challah and Ciabatta
To answer the looming question yes I am still alive. I wish I could think of a great excuse on why I have not been updating. Heck I was brainstorming why last night because I figure after a couple weeks I should have some awesome story to tell such as winning big in Las Vegas, diving with the dolphins, cliff diving, fighting pirates, or anything. Fact of the matter is I have simply been slacking. Of course this does not mean I have not been cooking just means I have not been writing about my cooking.
The only legitimate excuse I can think of right now is my garden is producing large quantity of spinach and lettuce. Which is awesome for eating healthy but the idea of writing up a salad dressing requires to much thought and planning. Instead it is easier to plop on my couch and watch TV or open a book (p.s. nothing but love to Heather at http://bodaciousgirlblog.com for suggesting “The $64 Tomato“. I can not put this book down).
However, I have not been slacking on my bread baking apprentice challenge posts. Ok I have been slacking on the posts but the bread making I am still going strong. Unfortunately it was a couple weeks ago when I made the challah so uhh….yeah I remember it was good but that is all I remember. I do remember dragging the challah up to my aunt’s house a couple weeks ago for a family get together and coming back home with nothing but compliments. I also remember the braiding being a pain the %&*#&*. That about sums up challah.
Now ciabatta….drooollllll…….one of my favorites of all times. Heck the only reason I chose to do this insane bread baking crap was for ciabatta, pizza, and baquettes.
I was very happy with the results of my ciabatta and I did a little happy dance when I cut it open and saw holes. Everyone has been talking about how hard it is to get the holes and first shot yeah nothing but net baby. Definitely a bread I will be making again in the future.
Oh yeah and since so many of you love proof tada:
I think living life in the real world is the greatest reason to be absent for awhile!
My two favorite types of bread - this looks delicious!
Both the ciabatta and the challah look great!
That’s a gorgeous Ciabatta. I think I would have only joined the #BBA just to make this handsome loaf!! However, stopping by here, has my attention grabbed by “The $64 Tomato“. What an intriuging sounding book!!
I’m glad you are not dead and next time I would definitely go with the fighting pirates story. =) The bread looks really really good!
Can you hear me ohhhin and ahhhin? Nice bread man. I’m glad you’re not dead too. Would have been a shame and then that luscious bread would have gone to waste!
Beautiful Jeff! The ciabatta look irresistible…
Just gorgeous, Jeff…I can practically smell the bread from this side of the computer. Congrats…
Welcome back with these loaves. We should’ve joined this baking challenge! You must be living the good life with all these great breads.
Glad you are still alive and kicking:) The bread looks oh so good! Nice work!
Wow! I am so impressed by your bread.
I am also glad that you are not dead, and that your ciabatta was appropriately holey the first go-’round. Congratulations!
Meanwhile, “The $64 Tomato” is a most excellent book. But I am not telling you anything you don’t already know.
The ciabattas look really good. We love them. I have to make them again. Glad to see that you are alive
Beautiful bread, sweetie.
Nice to see you are up and around. I will check out that book.
Very impressive, as usual Jeff. Not much better than the smell of fresh bread. Ugh, I am craving it now….
Absolutely beautiful. Glad you are still kicking.
Nice baking along with you,
Susie
neither of these breads is a breeze to make, jeff—i’m so impressed that you tackled them both! definitely worthy of a little happy dance.
Great to see you back Jeff. I can understand not feeling the blog thing. Sometimes I just don’t have any good food ideas, so unless I can come up with some other witty, food-related topic, I don’t blog and then I feel sort of guilty about it.
Your breads both look wonderful. I want to make some bread so badly. I wish I had a few hours at home to do something like this.
Wait where is that cut open shot of the ciabatta so we can see the holes?!
Hi Jeff, glad your back!!
It’s so funny because I was just looking at my local community college classes, and they have an artisan bread making class in the fall which I think I am going to take! It sounds like so much fun.
Love the challa bread!!
p.s. Still no sign of tomatoes on my topsy turvey tomato plant, just leaves!
No disasters there! glad to have you back among us in your posts!
~devany
I will admit I was getting a little worried…but I’m glad to hear you’re okay. Everyone goes through lazy spells. It’s second nature. Both of your breads look really awesome. I have nothing but love for bakers. I am still quite the amateur. I think I’m even whatever comes before amateur.
You bread baking mad man you! It looks fantastic!! Glad you ok !
You’re bread looks great…I’ll have to check out that book. Sounds interesting.
You will be diving with the dolphins soon enough… Told you I read your blogs…
Your recent bread baking frenzy is really inspiring! W and I have been not only baking more fresh bread, but also catching up on an old anime he had come across, Yakitate!! Japan, which is the story of a little Japanese kid who has “solar hands” and bakes the most amazing bread. It’s filled with supremely over the top with the reactions, but I seriously had a Yakitate-esque reaction when I tasted a ciabatta we made recently!
Check it out - http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=4454
Ooooh, great job, Jeff! So…fighting pirates and happy dancing…you *have* been busy, haven’t you?
Off to check out the tomato book…
I’ll have to check out that book.
Both breads look FANTASTIC. You are inspiring me to try baking bread.
I’m glad you were pleased with your ciabatta results! It’s hard work to make it, so it’s always comforting when things turn out nicely! Yay for holes!
You should post about that happy dance
You could totally make up an awesome story about fighting pirates.
Your challah and ciabatta look wonderful.