🥖 Delicious Ciabatta Bread Recipe You’ll Love
This ciabatta has:
big airy holes
a thin, crackly crust
that classic slightly chewy, flavorful inside
It’s a high-hydration dough (aka very wet and sticky), but don’t panic—I’ll walk you through it step by step.
✏️ Ingredients (Makes 2 Medium Loaves)
For the dough:
500 g (about 4 cups) bread flour
400 g (about 1 2/3 cups) lukewarm water
10 g (about 2 tsp) salt
3–4 g (about 1 tsp) instant yeast or 7 g (1 packet) active dry yeast
15 g (1 Tbsp) olive oil (optional, for a softer crumb + flavor)
If using active dry yeast, you’ll bloom it in some of the water first (explained below).
🧰 Helpful Equipment
Large mixing bowl
Rubber spatula or dough scraper
Kitchen scale (really helps with bread)
Clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap
Baking sheet or pizza stone
Parchment paper (optional but useful)
⏱️ Overview of the Process
Mix the dough (no heavy kneading).
Let it rise with stretch-and-fold rounds.
Shape gently (don’t punch the air out).
Final rise.
Bake with steam for that crispy crust.
Total time: about 3–4 hours, most of it hands-off.
👩🍳 Step 1 – Activate Yeast (if using active dry)
If you’re using instant yeast, you can skip to Step 2.
In a small bowl, mix:
100 g of the lukewarm water (from the total 400 g)
Your packet of active dry yeast
A pinch of sugar (optional, helps it wake up)
Let sit for 5–10 minutes until foamy.
If it doesn’t foam, your yeast might be dead—don’t use it.
🥣 Step 2 – Mix the Dough
In a large bowl, add:
500 g bread flour
10 g salt
Stir to combine.
Add:
The rest of the water (plus the foamy yeast mixture if using active dry)
1 Tbsp olive oil (optional)
Mix with a spatula or your hand until everything is hydrated and no dry flour remains.
The dough will be very sticky and shaggy. That’s normal for ciabatta.
Cover the bowl and let it rest for 20–30 minutes.
This is called an autolyse and helps gluten start forming without much effort.
💪 Step 3 – Stretch & Fold (Gentle Gluten Building)
Instead of kneading, we’ll do stretch-and-folds during the first rise.
After the 20–30 minute rest, lightly wet your hand (so dough sticks less).
Grab one side of the dough, stretch it up gently, then fold it over to the center.
Rotate the bowl 90°, repeat. Do this 4–6 times around the dough.
That’s one set of stretch-and-folds.
Cover, let rest 30 minutes.
Repeat stretch-and-folds again.
Rest another 30 minutes.
Do a third set if you have time.
In total you’ll do 2–3 rounds over about 1–1.5 hours.
Each time, the dough should feel a bit smoother, stronger, and puffier.
⏳ Step 4 – Bulk Rise
After the last stretch-and-fold:
Cover the bowl tightly.
Let dough rise at room temperature for about 60–90 minutes, or until:
It’s noticeably puffier
Maybe close to doubled, but don’t stress if it’s a bit less
Try not to let it over-proof (collapse or get super bubbly and weak).
📏 Step 5 – Shape the Ciabatta (Gently!)
Important: don’t punch down the dough—those bubbles are precious.
Dust your work surface generously with flour.
Carefully tip the dough out onto the floured surface. Use a scraper to help it out.
Flour the top of the dough too—it’s sticky.
Now:
Gently stretch it into a rectangle (roughly 8×12 inches / 20×30 cm) with your fingers.
Don’t press too hard; try to keep those air pockets.
Using a dough scraper or knife, cut the rectangle into 2 or 3 long pieces (your ciabatta loaves).
Transfer each piece onto a floured parchment sheet or a well-floured baking sheet.
If they warp a bit or look rustic, that’s perfect. Ciabatta is meant to look “rough slipper,” not perfect.
🌤️ Step 6 – Final Proof
Cover the shaped dough lightly:
With a floured kitchen towel, or
Inverted baking tray, or loose plastic wrap (don’t let it stick).
Let it rest for 30–45 minutes until slightly puffed.
While it proofs:
Preheat oven to 475°F (245°C).
Put a baking stone or upside-down baking sheet in the oven to heat (if you have one).
Place a metal pan on the bottom rack if you want to add steam (optional but awesome).
🔥 Step 7 – Bake with Steam (For That Crust)
When ready to bake, gently slide or place the parchment with the loaves onto the hot stone or tray.
If using steam:
Carefully pour a cup of hot water into the preheated metal pan on the bottom rack.
Close the door quickly so steam stays in.
Bake for about 18–22 minutes until:
The loaves are deep golden brown
They sound hollow when tapped on the bottom
If your oven runs hot, start checking at 15–16 minutes.
Let the ciabatta cool on a wire rack for at least 20–30 minutes before slicing.
It keeps cooking inside as it cools!
💡 Tips for the Best Ciabatta
Use bread flour if you can – its higher protein helps build structure and big holes.
Don’t over-flour while shaping – too much extra flour can weigh the dough down.
Wet your hands instead of adding more flour when handling the dough.
Be gentle – rough handling will knock out all the nice air pockets.
For extra flavor, you can:
Use a bit less yeast
Let the dough rise more slowly in the fridge overnight (covered), then shape and bake the next day.
🧀 Serving Ideas
Your ciabatta is perfect for:
Sandwiches (hello, panini!)
Garlic bread
Dipping in olive oil + balsamic
Serving with soup, pasta, or salad
Toasting and topping with tomato + basil (bruschetta vibes)