Description
I made the Ultimate Ciabatta Sandwich for the first time the other day. To make this sandwich, I first made pesto. Besides pesto and ciabatta, I also used sliced mozzarella cheese, large tomato slices, and fresh basil. I loved how it turned out. It was absolutely delicious and packed with exciting flavors, comparable to the gourmet-style sandwiches sold in sandwich shops. The whole family loved it so much and asked for more!
Every good day starts with a Sandwich, especially a fresh, succulent, and delicious sandwich packed with bold Italian flavors like the tangy tomato, creamy mozzarella, and aromatic basil. It is all I need in the morning. I will guide you through making a fresh, authentic Italian tomato mozzarella sandwich.
Ingredients
Scale
For Ciabatta Sandwich
- 1 Ciabatta loaf
- 2–3 big tomato slices
- 2–3 mozzarella cheese slices
- ½ cup arugula leaves
- 2–3 tablespoons pesto
For Basil pesto
- • 2 tablespoons pine nuts (roasted)
- • 2 cloves garlic
- • Pinch of salt and pepper
- • 1 cup basil leaves
- • 1 tablespoon olive oil
- • ¼ cup parmesan cheese (grated)
For Ciabatta Bread
- 500g bread flour
- 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cup of warm water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
How to Make the Ciabatta Bread
- Make the Dough: Take warm water in a large bowl, add active dry yeast, and mix well. Pour salt and olive oil and mix well. Add bread flour and use a spatula to mix it until there is no dry flour and a dough texture is formed. It is a very sticky dough. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- Rest the Dough: After 30 minutes, dip your fingers in water, pull the ciabatta sticky dough from the bottom, and fold it to the opposite side (first time, stretch and fold). Rest for another 30 minutes, and then do the same (second time, stretch and fold). Again, for the third time, cover and rest the dough for another 30 minutes and repeat the process (the third time, stretch and fold the dough). Lastly, cover and rest the dough for 30 minutes.
- Shape the Dough: Sprinkle some flour on the board and move the proofed dough to it. Press gently with your hands and flatten the dough into a rectangle until it is 1 cm thick.
- Bake the Ciabatta Bread: Dust some flour on the spatula and workplace and shape the dough into eight equal portions. Move each piece to the baking pan lined with parchment paper, cover, and rest for 30 minutes. Bake for 20 minutes at 430F. Transfer on the cooling rack before utilizing and there you go. Porous and light Ciabatta bread is ready to enjoy.
How to Make Ciabatta Sandwich
- Prepare the Ciabatta Slices: Cut the ciabatta bread horizontally from the center and toast the inside of both pieces using olive oil. Spread the pesto on the ciabatta bread. Place the mozzarella slices on the bread and bake it for 5 minutes at 400F.
- Assemble the Filling and Serve: Arrange the tomato slice on the melted mozzarella cheese. Arrange the arugula leaves on it and place the top of the ciabatta bread. Your sandwich is ready to serve.
Notes
- Use fresh ciabatta bread. You can make it from premade, but I recommend making it fresh to enjoy the crispy, spongy bread.
- While assembling the sandwich, I would recommend adding the tomato after cheese to avoid soggy bread.
- Lightly toast the bread after cutting it in half to get the perfect contrast of crispiness and softness of ciabatta bread.
- I will tell you to cut the sandwich diagonally. Diagonal sandwich parts are easy to eat and look more appealing. I just remembered that I needed to cut the sandwich diagonally. After cutting, I realized something was missing, but the sandwich tasted the same (no worries). Don’t worry if I forgot; you can!
- If you are willing to carry the sandwich to eat outdoors or want to take it to work, then pack it in wrapping paper. If you want to enjoy it fresh, you can secure it with a toothpick.
- Present the sandwich on the wooden board to make it aesthetically pleasing.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Meal
- Cuisine: Italian