Italian Dunkers
Slices of ciabatta bread brushed with garlic butter and topped with cheese – I don’t know what can be better than this!
These cheesy Italian dunkers are the perfect appetizer or a main course when served with a refreshing salad.
If you love toasted bread that is enriched with butter, then this is the perfect recipe for you.
Serve the Italian dunkers with fresh marinara sauce and get ready to be blown away. Such a simple recipe, yet with amazing flavors all packed into a single Italian dunker.
Why Are These So Special?
Besides having a perfect flavor, these dunkers are super easy to make.
They are perfect for those days when you are stuck in over your head with work, running around and trying to manage everything – kids’ baseball night, shopping, a needy boss, and all the other things that make your day last far too long.
During those days, you must cook dinner too, but this recipe is perfect if you want something simple but amazing.
You probably have all the ingredients on your hands to make this easy meal. You will notice in the recipe I have made ciabatta bread rolls from the scratch, but store-bought is great too.
If you do not have ciabatta bread, some other type of hearty white bread will work too.
Which Cheese To Use
This is completely up to you. To keep things Italian style, I went with mozzarella and a bit of parmesan, but any kind of cheese will work. White cheddar or pepper jack cheese is another great option.
Are There Other Ways To Make Italian Dunkers?
The Italian Dunkers are a recipe that you can play a bit with. If you want, you can make these gluten-free, and in that case use gluten-free ciabatta.
If you want to try something else as a dipping sauce, pizza sauce or ranch are just the perfect things to try out. They pair perfectly with any cheesy bread.
Another thing to change is the baking process. These are baked in the oven, but you can use the air fryer too.
Just make sure to watch them, as they may burn easily. It will only take 4-5 minutes to have them perfectly crunchy and covered with gooey cheese.
How To Store Italian Dunkers
These are kind of addictive, and I am not sure that you will have any leftovers, but in case you do, you can store them in an airtight container or a zip bag in a refrigerated for up to 5 days.
To heat Italian dunkers, place them on a plate, cover them with paper towels, and heat them for 30 seconds or until warm. The marinara can be stored as well in a fridge for 5 days, even the homemade version.
How To Make Ciabatta Rolls
The ciabatta rolls do not have to be homemade, but in case you want to give them a try, here is how to make them:
- The ciabatta I made here is using poolish instead of a sourdough starter. To make poolish, combine 1/3 cup of flour with ¼ cup of water. Add a good pinch of instant yeast. Combine the ingredients and let it rest overnight. In the morning, combine the poolish with more flour, water, yeast, sugar, and salt. Proof the dough for 30 minutes.
- The thing with ciabatta is to fold it properly. After the first 30 minutes of proof, lift the edge, stretch it, and bring it to the center. Rotate the dough by 90 degrees and bring the second edge to the middle. Repeat with the remaining edges and let the dough be proof for another 30 minutes.
- Repeat this process 3 times, leaving it to rest every time for 30 minutes. Remove the dough from a bowl and cut it into four pieces. Place the ciabatta rolls on a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper, and proof the dough for another 30 minutes. To bake, preheat the oven to 400°F and bake the ciabatta for 35 minutes.
- Cool the ciabatta before slicing for the Italian dunkers.
Here’s a visual tutorial from Bincy Chris on YouTube.
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 have store-bought rolls, skip this step.
2. Make the ciabatta rolls; in a mixing bowl, combine the poolish ingredients. Cover the poolish and let it rest overnight.Â
3. In a bowl, combine poolish with water, flour, and salt. Stir until the dough comes together. The dough will be very sticky, but that is fine.
4. Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes.
5. After initial proof, pull the edges of the dough and bring it toward the center.
6. Rotate the bowl by 90 degrees and pull the second piece of the dough. Repeat until all parts of the dough are stretched.
7. Cover the dough and proof for another 30 minutes.Â
8. Repeat the folding part three times more.
9. Cut the dough into four equal parts and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
10. Rise the dough for another 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
11. Bake the ciabatta rolls for 35 minutes. Cool them completely.
To Make The Dunkers
1. Make the dunkers; cut the ciabatta rolls in half and across the width and cut each piece into halves.Â
2. Melt butter and combine it with garlic. Brush the dough with butter. Top each ciabatta slice with cheese and sprinkle on top with some Italian herbs.
3. Bake the ciabatta for 15 minutes at 375°F.
4. Serve Italian dunkers warm with heated marinara sauce.
Italian Dunkers
Crispy, cheesy, buttery bread that makes for the perfect pasta side!
Ingredients
For The Ciabatta Rolls:
- ¼ cup of water
- 1/3 cup flour
- ½ tsp yeast
- ½ tsp salt
- 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:
(If you have store-bought rolls, skip this step.)
- In a mixing bowl, combine the poolish ingredients. Cover the poolish and let it rest overnight.
- In a bowl, combine poolish with water, flour, and salt. Stir until the dough comes together. The dough will be very sticky, but that is fine.
- Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- After initial proof, pull the edges of the dough and bring it toward the center.
- Rotate the bowl by 90 degrees and pull the second piece of the dough. Repeat until all parts of the dough are stretched.
- Cover the dough and proof for another 30 minutes.
- Repeat the folding part three times more.
- Cut the dough into four equal parts and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Rise the dough for another 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Bake the ciabatta rolls for 35 minutes. Cool them completely.
To Make The Dunkers:
- Cut the ciabatta rolls in half and across the width and cut each piece into halves.
- Melt butter and combine it with garlic. Brush the dough with butter. Top each ciabatta slice with cheese and sprinkle on top with some Italian herbs.
- Bake the ciabatta for 15 minutes at 375°F.
- Serve Italian dunkers warm with heated marinara sauce.
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