The perfect snack.

When I moved away to university I was regularly comforted by my school troubles at the on campus coffee house The Bullring Pub. I loved this place, the first time I went in there I ordered a honking plate of nachos. However, as time went by the healthier my eating habits became. I would soon start to order hummus, beautiful Caesar salads with chicken, and my number one favourite meal Garden Vegetable on a Ciabatta bun. I loved The Bullring, the atmosphere, the fact that their food was organic, how I usually had to wait in line for at least ten minutes before ordering, proof that the food was indeed incredibly good.

However, eating their sandwiches regularly I started buying the ingredients and making the sandwich at home, I mean they are simple ingredients, however one item was lacking; the ciabatta bread. It seemed whenever I went to the local grocers I couldn't find that particular bread so I would opt for some other Italian bread, however it simply was not the same.

The other day when I ran out of both my White Sandwich Bread and my French Onion Bread I knew that the next bread I was going to make was in for a challenge since both were divine. However, I knew instantly what bread would be equally as challenging in tastes', the one and only beautiful ciabatta bread. I love this bread, it has a beautiful crunchy crust, with a soft pillowy interior. This bread was so fun to make! It rose like a monster, however it was soft like a teddy bear. I couldn't help myself on and touch the bread on a few occasions while it was rising. I seriously wanted to pull the rising bread out of the bowl, immerse it with some flour and take it to bed and rest my head on it, it was something that I had never worked with before. It was beautiful. It was a masterpiece.

I have to admit, half way through the baking process I opened the oven door and cut off a piece. No, it wasn't done its thing, but it smelt and looked so wonderful, the result? Absolute 100% bliss. I seriously thought I got transported to a third dimension it was out of this world. Later, when it was completed the baking... oops, and cooled down I slathered it with some homemade peanut butter! Honestly the whole experience, you have to try. I had never had homemade before, and it was divine, it honestly beats the store-bought kind, I loved it and will surely be making it over and over again as with the beautiful ciabatta. Now enough with the talking I'm sure you all want to see both recipes, so here we are!

Ciabatta Bread

Recipe adapted from here

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/4 cups white bread flour
• 2 cups multi-grain bread flour
• 2 tsp dried rosemary
  
• 2 1/2 tsp yeast

Directions:
Mix water, sugar and yeast in a bowl. Let sit until creamy. Mix flour, rosemary and salt together. Add yeast mixture and oil to the flour. Using a mixer with a dough hook attachment, mix/knead for 5 minutes. Dough will be extremely wet. Refrain from adding more flour. Refrain yourself! Scrape dough into a well greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap.

Let rise until doubled in size (1.5-2 hours). Because the dough is extremely sticky, you'll want to flour your work surface generously. Scrape dough onto the work surface and cut in half. Be gentle with the dough at this point. You don't want to push out all the air. Tear off 2 pieces of parchment paper.

Gently transfer the dough onto one of the papers and stretch out into a rectangle. Using your fingertips, create dimples all over the surface of the dough (I was so busy loving on my dough that I forgot to do this part! It's supposed to help create all those large holes throughout the bread). Repeat with other half of dough. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and let rise for 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place bread and parchment paper (either on a baking sheet or pizza stone) in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until bread is golden.

Let cool before slicing and using for sandwiches.

Homemade Peanut Butter

Recipe adapted from here

Incredible. When I told my mom what I was planning she immediately said "yuck! I've had that before and it's disgusting." However, I didn't listen to her, honestly... sometimes I really don't trust her judgment when it comes to particular foods. I made it. The result? Absolutely delicious. I think she was high when she had homemade peanut butter or whoever's she tried just didn't know how to make a good batch because it was way better than any store-bought peanut butter I have ever had. It was smoothe, with coconut, preservative-free and tasty, honestly what more could you ask for?

Next time, or maybe even later today I will be adding cinnamon I think it will be even more perfect with cinnamon. Coconut cinnamon peanut butter? Helllloooooo! If you haven't tried homemade peanut butter before, or have and it sucked you need to try this recipe! Delish!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups unsalted peanuts
  
• 1 heaping tbsp brown sugar
• 1 heaping tbsp EVOO
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
  
• 1/4 cup unsweeted coconut flakes
  

Directions:

Place the peanuts in your food processor and process until they form a big lump. You'll need to break this lump into a couple smaller lumps to allow for more processing. Just be patient. This process will take a few minutes. When it looks like peanut butter (spread-like consistency), add in your sugar, salt, and coconut oil. Keep processing until smooth. You may want to let it get soupy, so just let it grind.

Now, go cut yourself a beautiful piece of this bread slather it on with some homemade peanut butter and you have the perfect snack. Or dress it with your favourite toppings and you have a wonderful sandwich. Or dip it in some beautiful tomato sauce and cheese and you have a great appetizer, oh I could go on!