As with so many things today, the cost of the weekly grocery shop keeps climbing. I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s noticed prices rise significantly over the past few years. To keep my food bill under control, I’ve learned to shop strategically. While I would love to do all my shopping at Marks and Spencer, it’s often considered one of the more expensive supermarkets.
Out of convenience and money-saving offers, I tend to do most of my food shopping at Sainsbury’s. I find Nectar prices to be a saviour and love that the Nectar app adjusts to your frequently purchased groceries. I also shop at Aldi, but I find Sainsbury’s does have a better selection of fresh produce.
However, there’s one particular item that I’ve been buying recently at M&S, and in my opinion, it’s worth every penny.
While most M&S shoppers rave about the sweet treats they offer, particularly their cookies, there’s something else near the bakery section that needs your attention – ciabatta bread.
I’ve become obsessed with the half ciabatta rolls from M&S. Retailing for £2.40, the insides of them are light and airy, and the outer crust is beautifully crisp.
As well as being bigger, tastier and having a better texture, I love that the rolls stay fresh for a decent amount of time, well over the best before date that’s given on the front of the packet.
Sainsbury’s does sell half ciabatta rolls, but the size, taste and texture just don’t compare. What’s more, the half ciabatta rolls at Sainsbury’s also retail for the same price of £2.40.
Another supermarket that sells similar bread rolls is Waitrose, which sells them for a slightly higher price of £2.50. However, I wasn’t a fan of them – they didn’t crisp up well when I heated them up.
What I use the half ciabatta rolls for
The main thing I’ve been making with the ciabatta is delicious paninis. My favourite consists of basil pesto, mortadella, juicy tomatoes, and fresh mozzarella – pop it in the air fryer for eight minutes at 140C, and it’s incredible.
Another thing I love using this ciabatta for is bruschetta, as the airy centre does a fantastic job soaking up lots of flavour. The ciabatta bread also gets nice and crunchy when toasted long enough, so even though it absorbs quite a bit of moisture, it still holds up to the weight of the oil and tomatoes.
The ciabatta also makes for the most amazing croutons. The airy centre and the chewy crust on the ciabatta have the ability to crisp up deliciously, and you get a touch of varied texture as well.
I add the ciabatta croutons to many different salads, but my go-to is a Caesar salad. There are lots of things you can do to make your Caesar salad tastier, and it just so happens that one of them is topping them with homemade croutons.