The Best Homemade Ciabatta Bread 🥖✨
Crispy crust, chewy interior, and those iconic air pockets—this Italian classic is easier to make than you think! No fancy equipment needed.
Ingredients
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500g (3 ¾ cups) bread flour (or all-purpose in a pinch)
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400ml (1 ⅔ cups) warm water (~100°F/38°C)
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1 ½ tsp salt
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¼ tsp active dry yeast (or 3g fresh yeast)
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1 tbsp olive oil (optional, for flavor)
Instructions
1. Mix & Autolyse (Rest)
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In a large bowl, whisk flour, yeast, and salt.
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Add water and mix until just combined (dough will be very sticky).
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Cover and let rest 30 mins (this develops gluten without kneading).
2. Fold the Dough
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With wet hands, grab one side of the dough, stretch it up, and fold over. Rotate bowl and repeat 4x.
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Cover and rest 30 mins. Repeat folding 3 more times (total 2 hours with folds every 30 mins).
3. Final Rise
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After last fold, cover and let rise at room temp 1-2 hours (or overnight in fridge for deeper flavor).
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Dough should be jiggly and bubbly.
4. Shape & Bake
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Preheat oven to 475°F (245°C) with a baking stone/steel or inverted baking sheet inside. Place a roasting pan on the bottom rack.
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Generously flour a work surface. Gently scrape dough out (don’t deflate!). Cut in half with a bench scraper.
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Stretch each piece into a rectangle (~10×4 inches). Lift onto parchment paper.
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Let rest 20-30 mins (while oven heats).
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Pour 1 cup boiling water into the roasting pan (creates steam!). Slide ciabatta onto the hot stone.
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Bake 20-25 mins until deep golden and hollow-sounding when tapped.
5. Cool & Devour!
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Let cool 1 hour (if you can wait!) for the perfect texture.
🌟 Pro Tips
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Wet hands = no stick! Keep a bowl of water nearby when handling dough.
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No stone? Bake on a regular sheet, but reduce temp to 450°F (230°C).
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Extra crisp: Spritz dough with water before baking.
Perfect for sandwiches, bruschetta, or just tearing and dipping in olive oil! 🍅🫒
Storage: Keep in a paper bag for 2 days (re-crisp in oven). Freezes well!
Want herb ciabatta? Add rosemary or thyme to the dough! 🌿