I don’t know what could be better than ciabatta bread brushed with garlic butter and topped with cheese! When served with a refreshing salad, these cheesy Italian dunkers make an excellent appetizer or main course. If you enjoy toasted bread that has been enriched with butter, this is the recipe for you. Prepare to be blown away when you serve the Italian dunkers with fresh marinara sauce. A simple recipe with incredible flavors all packed into a single Italian dunker.
Why Are These So Special?
These dunkers are not only delicious but also simple to make. They are ideal for days when you are in over your head with work, running around and attempting to manage everything – kids’ baseball games, shopping, a needy boss, and all the other things that make your day last far too long. You must cook dinner on those days as well, but this recipe is ideal if you want something simple but delicious.
You most likely have all of the ingredients on hand to make this quick meal. You’ll notice in the recipe that I made ciabatta bread rolls from scratch, but store-bought works just as well. If you don’t have ciabatta bread, any other hearty white bread will suffice.
Which Cheese To Use
You have complete control over this. Any type of cheese will work, but I chose mozzarella and a little parmesan to keep things Italian. Another excellent choice is cheese made with white cheddar or pepper jack.
Are There Other Ways To Make Italian Dunkers?
The Italian Dunkers are a recipe with which you can experiment. If you want, you can make these gluten-free by using gluten-free ciabatta. If you want to try something different as a dipping sauce, pizza sauce or ranch are excellent choices. They go well with any cheesy bread. The baking process will also be altered. These are baked in the oven, but they can also be cooked in an air fryer. Just keep an eye on them because they can burn easily. It will only take 4-5 minutes for them to be perfectly crunchy and topped with gooey cheese.
How To Store Italian Dunkers
I doubt you will have any leftovers because these are quite addicting, but if you do, you can keep them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container or zip-top bag. Italian dunkers should be heated for 30 seconds or until warm by placing them on a plate, covering them with paper towels, and heating. Even the homemade marinara can be kept in the refrigerator for 5 days.
How To Make Ciabatta Rolls
The ciabatta rolls do not have to be homemade, but if you want to give them a shot, here’s how:
Instead of a sourdough starter, I used poolish to make this ciabatta. To make poolish, mix 1/3 cup flour with 14 cup water. Mix in a generous pinch of instant yeast. Combine all of the ingredients and set aside overnight. Combine the poolish with more flour, water, yeast, sugar, and salt in the morning. 30 minutes to proof the dough
It’s important to fold ciabatta correctly. Lift the edge, stretch it, and bring it to the center after the first 30 minutes of proofing. Rotate the dough 90 degrees and fold the second edge into the center. Repeat with the remaining edges and set aside for another 30 minutes to proof the dough.
Repeat this process three times, each time resting for 30 minutes. Take the dough out of the bowl and cut it into four pieces. Place the ciabatta rolls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and continue to proof the dough for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and bake the ciabatta for 35 minutes.
Allow the ciabatta to cool before slicing it for the Italian dunkers.
Italian Dunkers Recipe
Preparation time: 10 minutes (without ciabatta rolls prep time)
Cooking time: 15 minutes (without ciabatta cooking time)
Servings: 4
Ingredients
For the ciabatta rolls:
The poolish:
- ¼ cup of water
- 1/3 cup flour
- ½ tsp yeast
- ½ tsp salt
For the dough:
- 1 ½ cups lukewarm water
- 3 ½ cups flour
- 2 tsp salt
For the dunkers:
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1-2 cloves of garlic
- 5 oz mozzarella or preferred cheese, sliced
- Italian herbs, to sprinkle, as desired
- 1 cup marinara sauce, to serve with
Instructions:
To Make The Ciabatta
1. If you already have rolls from the store, skip this step.
2. Prepare the ciabatta rolls; combine the ingredients for the poolish in a mixing bowl. Overnight, cover the poolish and let it rest.
3. Combine poolish, water, flour, and salt in a bowl. Dough must be mixed until it comes together. Although the dough will be extremely sticky, that is okay.
4. Put a cover on the dough and give it a 30-minute rest.
5. After the first proof, pull the dough’s edges toward the center.
6. Pull the second piece of dough while turning the bowl 90 degrees. Repeat this process until the dough has been stretched throughout.
7. Let the dough proof for an additional 30 minutes covered.
8. Recur the folding process three more times.
9. Dividing the dough into four equal pieces, spread each one out on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
10. Let the dough rise for an additional 30 minutes. Set the oven to 400°F.
11. 35 minutes of baking the ciabatta rolls. Completely lowering them.
To Make The Dunkers
1. To make the dunkers, cut the ciabatta rolls in half across the width and into halves.
2. Melt the butter and mix in the garlic. Brush the dough with the melted butter. Top each ciabatta slice with a slice of cheese and some Italian herbs.
3. Bake the ciabatta at 375°F for 15 minutes.
4. Toss warm Italian dunkers with heated marinara sauce.