This easy Ciabatta Bread recipe will give you perfect crusty homemade bread with only five ingredients. This ciabatta dough can be made ahead and used to make either two loaves of ciabatta bread, or eight ciabatta rolls.
Table of contents
- Ciabatta Bread Recipe
- Ingredients in Ciabatta bread
- Hydration in bread recipes
- How to make Ciabatta Dough
- How to shape Ciabatta
- How to make Ciabatta Rolls
- How to make Ciabatta Slider Buns
- How to tell when dough is risen
- Have I over proofed my dough?!
- How long does bread dough keep in the fridge?
- How to freeze bread
- FAQ for Ciabatta Bread
- For more homemade bread recipes, check out:
- Recipe For Ciabatta Bread
Ciabatta Bread Recipe
Hi! I am just popping in to share this easy ciabatta bread recipe with you! This super rustic, Italian style ciabatta bread is very low effort - it is a no knead bread recipe that uses an overnight rise to produce a super chewy, crusty bread. I love making homemade bread, and especially love a super easy no knead recipe that can be made ahead, such as my focaccia recipe. However I was after something in a slightly different format - enter this easy ciabatta recipe. This recipe is great for serving alongside dinner, but also makes the most amazing sandwiches.
I tested this recipe over and over in different formats so that I could give you all the tips and tricks for making easy ciabatta bread - this dough can be used to make ciabatta loaf, ciabatta rolls, and a ciabatta pull-apart bread, or all three if you like, with only a few tweaks.
This is definitely not a super traditional ciabatta recipe, but it is my take on it - a simple, easy to make bread that we love and I really hope that you do too.
Ingredients in Ciabatta bread
This ciabatta recipe is super super simple and has a very limited ingredient list - bread flour, instant yeast, olive oil, water, and salt.
Ciabatta bread is characterised by its crusty finish, and big holes inside the dough, which is often achieved by a long, slow rise, and high hydration. I played around with hydration a lot for this ciabatta recipe, pushing it as high as I could to get a dough that formed a lovely open crumb while not being too hard to work with.
Hydration in bread recipes
This ciabatta recipe has a hydration of 85% - hydration is calculated by dividing the weight of liquid in a recipe by the weight of the flour then multiplying it by 100, so in this case 445 ÷ 525 = 0.847, then 0.847 x 100 = 84.7, which we round up to 85%. This is a very wet dough - it is meant to be like that. You will need to flour your surface when you are shaping it quite heavily in order to make sure it does not stick, but do not worry - it is also a super forgiving dough and doesn't need a huge amount of shaping, and the second rise helps a lot to tidy things up before baking.
Ciabatta recipes often also use a biga, or a poolish - a portion of the flour in the recipe combined with yeast to make a sponge or a kind of starter for the recipe that is made the day before. I didn't use a biga, as I much prefer to make all the dough in one go and then have it in the fridge ready to go, but the first stage of this ciabatta dough recipe is done as an overnight rise in the fridge, so we still have the long, slow element that a biga provides.
How to make Ciabatta Dough
The process of making homemade ciabatta is super easy - this is a relatively hands off recipe, you just need to allow time for an overnight rise. Here is how to do it:
- Make the ciabatta dough. Combine the flour, and the first measure of warm water and olive oil in a bowl and stir until a shaggy dough forms.
- Autolyse. This step is important to help kick start the gluten development and allow the flour to hydrate before adding the yeast and salt. I leave mine for 30 minutes.
- Add the second measure of water, yeast, and salt, and mix well. At this stage I mix it by hand for a few minutes to help develop dough strength and to ensure that the dough is well mixed.
- Stretch and folds / first bulk rise. You will rise the dough for 2 hours at room temperature, and during this time you will perform stretch and folds every 30 minutes. This helps to develop dough strength and allow the yeast to kick start.
- Transfer the dough to the fridge, and leave it overnight. The dough is resilient - so if you make the dough in the morning and do not bake it until the next evening, it will be just fine.
I find the best way to keep track of rising dough is to have two timers - one for the overall time, so in this case 2 hours, and the other measuring the time between stretch and folds that you re set each time you perform a set of stretch and folds.
How to shape Ciabatta
There are a few ways you can shape your ciabatta dough depending on the format that you want it to be in. You can either bake it as two loaves, or it can also be made into eight ciabatta rolls, or baked all together to make more of a pull-apart bread bun or ciabatta slider buns.
It is Very Important that you use enough flour both on your work surface and when handling the dough as it is quite sticky. A bench scraper will be your friend here.
About an hour before you are ready to bake, prepare your dough for baking and line a pan with floured parchment paper. Heavily flour a work surface (this is important to ensure the high hydration dough does not stick), then turn the dough out onto it.
To make loaves, shape the dough into a 24x24cm (9.5") square (It doesn't have to be super even), then cut down the middle to form two pieces of dough. Transfer to the baking sheet, flipping so the floured side is up (this is where the pattern on ciabatta comes from), then gently gently shape into loaves by tucking the edges under.
Leave the loaves to rise, then bake.
How to make Ciabatta Rolls
The process for making ciabatta rolls is very similar to making ciabatta loaves, except that you will shape the dough into a 28x20cm (8x11") rectangle instead, then cut into 8 rolls. Turn them over as you move them from the floured work surface to the sheet pan, to get the flour pattern from the counter as the top crust.
Arrange the ciabatta buns on your sheet pan so they have some space between them, as they do flatten out slightly as they rest. It is not the end of the world if they touch a little!
How to make Ciabatta Slider Buns
Another way to bake this ciabatta bread which is even easier is to flop the dough out directly onto your sheet pan, and shape it into a square, then cut it into rolls and leave them as is. This means when they bake they will form a sort of pull-apart ciabatta bread, with super soft edges and a lovely crusty top.
To make ciabatta slider buns or ciabatta pull-apart bread, shape the dough into a 24x24cm (9.5") square and then cut into however many you want - I usually go for 16, so a 4x4 grid.
The bake time for rolls and a loaf is similar, so if you wanted to divide the dough into one loaf and four rolls, that would work, just space them out on the same baking sheet.
How to tell when dough is risen
Cold from the fridge, I find that my ciabatta dough usually takes about 45 minutes to an hour to rise for the second time before it is ready to bake.
The best way to tell if a dough is ready to rise is to gently poke the top of the dough with a floured finger. If it springs back straight away, you know it needs more time. If it leaves a small indentation which slowly springs back, you know that it is proofed and ready to go into the oven.
Remember that the time that a dough takes to rise hugely depends on your environment so it is important to go by how the dough looks rather than the time in the recipe.
Have I over proofed my dough?!
This is sad but sometimes is happens. If you leave your dough rising for too long, the yeast can use up all its energy, and then have nothing to give when the dough goes in the oven.
You will know if you have over proofed your dough if it collapses when you touch it, or if it doesn't rise in the oven. It is also very important to make sure that your yeast isn't expired - to test this, place a little in some lukewarm water with a pinch of sugar, and check that it bubbles.
How long does bread dough keep in the fridge?
I left dough in the fridge for three days and it still baked up ok - it was definitely lacking a little in spring but it tasted amazing still. This dough is super forgiving as it doesn't really need to be shaped, so it was ok to just flop out and rise it and bake it off.
How to freeze bread
This ciabatta recipe is a current favourite for many reasons - one of them being that it freezes super well. When I was testing it over the last few months I would do a few a/b tests and end up with four loaves at a time (not a bad problem to have!), and would freeze two to have later.
To freeze bread, either wrap tightly or place in an airtight bag, and freeze. It will keep in the freezer, if stored properly, for up to three months.
To defrost frozen bread, either leave in the fridge overnight or defrost at room temperature. I always find it is nice to either refresh defrosted bread in the oven before using, or eat it toasted or turned into garlic bread.
FAQ for Ciabatta Bread
What tools and equipment do you use?
You can see a full list of all the tools I use here
Do I have to use Bread Flour?
Yes - it is important that you use bread flour for this ciabatta recipe as it provides strength. I tested it with all-purpose flour and it didn't work as well - the dough was not strong enough for the hydration in the recipe. Bread flour is also called high grade flour or strong flour depending on where you live!
Can I add sourdough starter?
Yes, if you want to you can add discard to give flavour while still relying on the yeast to rise the bread, but I do not know the conversions for making a sourdough raised ciabatta - you are better looking for a sourdough specific recipe. To use some starter, replace some of the flour and water with sourdough discard at 100% hydration - so if you were using 100g starter you would remove 50g flour and 50g water from the quantities in the recipe and replace with the 100g of starter.
Can this recipe be made all in one day?
I tried it, and it doesn't work as well. You can definitely give it a go - you will need to mix your dough early in the day and then do the whole thing at room temperature, but flavour and texture wise this bread is best with a long, slow overnight rise in the fridge.
How far in advance can you make bread dough?
I left dough in the fridge for three days and it still baked up ok - it was definitely lacking a little in spring but it tasted amazing still. This dough is super forgiving as it doesn't really need to be shaped, so it was ok to just flop out and rise.
Can this recipe be made in the stand mixer?
I haven't tried it yet but I do want to see if I can develop the dough all in one go in the mixer using the dough hook, then leave it at room temperature to rise a little before doing an overnight rest. Watch this space!
Can this recipe be made with active dry yeast?
I haven't tried it with active dry yeast, only with instant yeast, but it should be fine to sub the yeast 1:1, you may just need to activate it in the 50g water with a teeny pinch of sugar first then add the yeast mixture to the autolysed dough.
For more homemade bread recipes, check out:
Made this recipe and love it?
If you made this recipe then I would LOVE for you to leave me a review below to let me know how you liked it! Also, please make sure to tag me on Instagram if you make it!
A note on salt and oven temperature
It is important to note the type of salt that is called for in a recipe. I use Diamond Crystal salt throughout my recipes - if you use a different sort of kosher salt or regular table salt you will need to adjust accordingly as some salt is 'saltier' than others. Morton's salt is twice as salty, so you will need half the quantity. Same goes for a regular table salt. I am working to get gram measurements throughout my recipes for salt but still getting there.
All oven temperatures are conventional unless otherwise stated. If you are baking on fan / convection, you will need to adjust the temperature. An oven thermometer is a great investment to ensure that your oven is the correct temperature.
Using the double / triple function in the recipe card
You will notice that there is a '1X' '2X' '3X' button in my recipe card. This can be used for doubling or tripling a recipe. However, please note that this only doubles the ingredient quantities in the ingredients list and NOT in the method. If there are quantities or pan sizes in the method of the recipe (for example weigh out 150g brown butter), you will need to scale this number manually. It will also not change the baking time in the recipe so you will need to adjust this yourself too. It is always a good idea to read through a recipe fully before doubling it just to check this. If you would like to scale this recipe or convert for another pan size, use my calculator!
Tools and equipment
For a list of my go-to tools and equipment, I have a post you can refer to here.
Why is this recipe in grams?
I post my recipes in grams as it is the most accurate way to bake. Cups are not only inaccurate but they vary in volume worldwide. There is no way for me to provide one cup measure that works for everyone. However, posting in weight fixes this issue. If you would like the recipe in cups you are welcome to convert it yourself via google, but please do not ask me to do it for you as I am not comfortable providing a recipe using a method that I have not tested. Baking with a scale is easy, accurate, and also makes cleanup super simple. Here is the scale that I use if you would like a recommendation! Here's to accurate baking!
Recipe For Ciabatta Bread
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How to make Ciabatta Bread
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 12 hours
- Yield: 2 loaves 1x
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This easy Ciabatta Bread recipe will give you perfect crusty homemade bread with only five ingredients. This ciabatta dough can be made ahead and used to make either two loaves of ciabatta bread, or eight ciabatta rolls.
Ingredients
- 525g Bread flour
- 15g extra virgin olive oil
- 395g water, lukewarm
- 50g water, lukewarm
- 3g instant yeast
- 10g salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine together the flour and the oil mixed with the first measure (395g) of the water. Combine with a spatula or your hands to form a stiff, shaggy dough. Cover with a tea towel and leave to sit for 30 minutes - this step is called the autolyse and allows the flour to hydrate.
- After 30 minutes, combine the second measure of water (50g) with the yeast, and add to the bowl along with the salt. Mix in by pinching and squishing the dough with your fingers, then stretch it up and fold it over on itself until it starts to come together. Mix the dough for five minutes using the stretch and fold technique. To do this, reach under a piece of the dough and bring it up and fold it over onto itself. Rotate the bowl 90° and repeat again. Keep working your way around the bowl.
- Once you have finished mixing, transfer the dough into a lightly oiled bowl or plastic container, ideally with see-through sides. Cover with a lid or tea towel.
- Proof the dough for two hours, with a set of stretch and folds every 30 minutes (so a total of four sets of stretch and folds). To stretch and fold, you repeat the same motion as in the mixing phase - reach under, stretch the dough up and over itself, then turn the container 90° and repeat again until you have done four stretch and folds. Then cover the dough and leave to sit for 30 minutes until you repeat the next set of stretch and folds.
- Once you have finished the stretch and fold process, cover the bowl either with a lid or plastic wrap, and place into the fridge overnight, or for up to 24 hours.
- When you are ready to bake the ciabatta, line a baking pan with baking paper and lightly flour the paper. Heavily flour a work surface. Flour the surface of the dough, then turn out onto the floured surface. The dough is quite sticky, so using enough flour is very important.
- Pat the dough into a square approximately 24x24cm (9.5 inches square), adding extra flour if needed. Cut into two pieces, then, working with one at a time, transfer to the baking sheet, flipping over so that the floured side is facing upward. Tuck the edges of the dough under lightly and shape into a rough rectangle. Repeat with the second piece of dough, leaving space between the loaves for rising and spreading.
- Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap or a lid, and place in a warm spot for 45 minutes to an hour to let the dough rise, until they have puffed up slightly and when gently poked with a fingertip, and indentation is left that slowly rises back.
- While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 425°f / 220°c. Give the oven about 20 minutes to preheat to ensure that it heats up properly.
- Once the dough is risen, transfer to the oven, and bake for 18 to 20 minutes until the ciabatta is baked and golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped underneath.
- Remove from the oven and leave to stand on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack and leave to cool completely before slicing.
- Store leftovers loosely wrapped at room temperature.
Notes
Notes: This dough can also be shaped into 8 rolls. To shape into rolls, pat the dough into a 28x20cm (11"x8") rectangle and cut into rolls. Flip over onto the floured sheet pan and proof and bake the same way as the loaves. You can also dump the bread onto a tray and shape into a 24x24cm (9.5 inches) square then cut into 16 pieces, leaving them touching while they rise and then bake as a tray bake.
Bread flour is often also called high grade flour or strong flour depending on where you live!
Keywords: Bread, Ciabatta, homemade bread, no knead bread, easy bread
Comments
this is my new favorite go to recipe!
★★★★★
i made this as individual rolls and pull aparts. both are so so good. It such an easy dough to work with!
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Hi thank you for the recipe. But I didn’t get. The part. First measurement of water. Can please tell me is there the 395g water or the 50 g. That part is a bit difficult to understand. Well for me anyway 🙃
Hi! The first measure is the first one listed so 395 and the second is the 50g 🙂 I have edited the recipe to clarify!
Hi!
Thank you for this simple recipe. I have a question, can I use a stand mixer for the first 5 minutes instead of stretch and fold to mix the dough?
Hi! I haven't tried it sorry - you probably could though!
I tried this recipe for the first time and have experience making breads~ this was a great straight forward recipe with tons of great tips and info that is very helpful to all levels of bakers ~ I’m from Italy so ciabatta bread is a staple for us ~ I’m thrilled to now be making my own versus buying commercial varieties that are too heavy etc. Thanks so much Erin!! Can’t wait to try more of your beautiful recipes ❤️❤️❤️❤️
★★★★★
This recipe was so fun and so yum! Thanks for creating such comprehensive recipes that are easy to follow and always result in delicious outcomes. Will be making this in all its forms for the foreseeable future!
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As usual, I find myself thinking "how many cloudy kitchen recipes can I make in 1 weekend? This weekend was tiramisu and ciabatta! The ciabatta recipe was easy to follow, thorough, and resulted in 2 beautiful big loaves of cibatta! It came out so soft and fluffy, moist and really delicious. We've eaten it with avocado, butter and radish, peanut butter and jelly (the toddler) and as sandwich bread. Fantastic every way, I will definitely be making this again. I want to try it as rolls next time so I can freeze some!
★★★★★
Such a helpful "how to"!
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