Ciabatta Bread
Make this airy ciabatta bread from scratch with zero kneading and minimal effort. Start this homemade ciabatta bread now for the perfect soup companion tomorrow!
Servings: 24 Slices
Ingredients
- 1 ½ teaspoons instant yeast
- 3 ¼ cups warm water 105°F to 115°F
- 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting and shaping
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon olive oil
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk 1 cup water and 1/16 tsp yeast. Stir in 2 ½ cups of flour until a thick dough forms. Cover with plastic wrap and rest at room temperature 8-12 hours.
- In a large bowl, mix remaining 1 cup water and 1 tsp yeast. Add the pre-ferment and gently break it up into the water with your fingers or a whisk. Add the remaining 2 cups of flour, salt, and olive oil. Stir with a wooden spoon or using your hands, until a wet, uniform dough forms. The dough will look shaggy, wet, and messy. If you prefer, you can mix the final dough with a stand mixer fitted with the paddle or dough hook attachment just until there are no dry patches of flour. Don't overwork it; just mix until the flour is fully incorporated and the dough pulls away slightly from the sides of the bowl.
- Transfer to a well-oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and rise for 2-3 hours. During the rising, wet your hands and perform two sets of “stretch and folds” (pull the dough up from the side and fold over the center) to build structure.
- Turn the dough onto a generously floured surface. Dust the top with flour. Cut the dough in half, or into 4-6 pieces for sandwich rolls. Gently nudge the cut sides to tidy the shape (do not knead or roll). Carefully lift the shaped dough onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
- Cover with a dry towel and let rise for 45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the crust is deep golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
Notes
Yield- 2 loaves
- Storage: Store cooled ciabatta loosely wrapped at room temperature for up to 2 days, or freeze tightly wrapped loaves for up to 3 months.
- Technique: Handle the high-hydration dough as little as possible—gentle folding and careful transfers preserve the signature open crumb.
- Variation: Shape the dough into 4–6 smaller rectangles for ciabatta sandwich rolls, reducing bake time by about 4–5 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 88kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 0.4g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 195mg | Potassium: 32mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin C: 0.002mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg