Ciabatta Bread
This simple Ciabatta Bread recipe will give you a rustic Italian loaf that is perfect for dipping into soups or sauces. The high hydration in this bread results in a wonderfully chewy center and tons of irregular holes.
Homemade ciabatta bread
This is probably the easiest ciabatta bread recipe you’ll come across. It is an 80% hydration bread which means it’s very wet and sticky.
Because of this, you’ll need a stand mixer to make the dough. Otherwise, it will be near impossible to mix the dough.
The mixer will do all the mixing and kneading for you. This is why I say it’s the easiest recipe.
No-knead recipes are the best! I make pizza dough and slow cooker bread all the time because they require little effort. And now I’ll be making ciabatta bread just as often, if not more.
Ciabatta means slipper in Italian. Can you see how the bread get its name? It’s shaped just like a slipper!
Are there eggs in ciabatta bread?
There are no eggs in ciabatta bread. It’s made with flour, water, yeast, and salt.
What do you use ciabatta bread for?
You slice ciabatta bread at an angle and drizzle it with olive oil. It can also be used it for dipping in soup or soaking up sauce.
Or you can slice it lengthwise and make an Italian Style sandwich. Whichever way you decide to enjoy this bread, I’m sure you’ll be impressed with the texture and flavor.
How do you heat up ciabatta bread?
You can heat ciabatta bread by wrapping it in aluminum foil and baking in a 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes.
Main ingredients for ciabatta bread
Bread flour – this is essential for the sturdy texture of this bread.
Yeast – you can use instant or active dry yeast. Either one will work. Just be sure to use a quality brand like Red Star®.
Water – there’s a lot of water in this bread and it’s the only liquid the recipe calls for.
Salt – salt boosts the flavor of ciabatta bread but it also slows down the fermentation and enzyme activity in the dough. It helps to strengthen and support volume as well.
How to make ciabatta bread?
Step 1: Make the sponge
Combine flour, yeast, and water in a large bowl. Stir it with a wooden spoon until it’s well mixed and free of lumps.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 12 hours but up to 24 hours. The longer you let the sponge sit, the more flavor and structure the final bread will have.
Step 3: Make the dough
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the sponge with more flour, water, and salt. Mix it with the paddle attachment until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl.
Step 4: Rise and turn the dough
Transfer the dough to a large bowl greased with olive oil. Cover and let it rise for 45 minutes. Lightly grease a silicone scraper and use it to fold the dough over onto itself.
Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for another 45 minutes. Repeat this process once more and let the dough rise for a final 45 minutes.
Step 5: Shape the dough
Transfer the dough to a well-floured surface and liberally flour the top of the dough. Use two well-floured bench scrapers and carefully manipulate the dough from the sides to form a square.
Don’t add any pressure to the top of the dough or it will deflate. Cut the square in half and use the bench scrapers to gently shape each half into a loaf.
Step 6: Let rise and bake
Gently slide the bench scrapers under the dough and transfer each loaf to a well-floured cloth. Fold the cloth up on the sides of the dough to separate and support each loaf. Let the loaves rise for 20 minutes.
Invert a baking sheet on to the lowest rack in the oven and heat the oven to 450°F. Place parchment paper onto a pizza peel or another inverted baking sheet.
Slide your fingers under each end of the loaf and quickly transfer it to the parchment paper. Spray the loaf lightly with water.
Carefully slide the parchment with the loaf onto the heated baking sheet in the oven. Bake for 22-27 minutes.
Tips for this easy ciabatta bread recipe
- Plan ahead since the sponge needs to be made a day in advance.
- The dough for this bread is very wet and sticky. It requires a lot of external flour to prevent it from sticking. If you use too much flour on the outside, you can easily brush it off before spritzing the loaf with water and baking. Just use a pastry brush to do this.
- The dough will puff up and resemble a giant marshmallow. Be very delicate when shaping it so you don’t knock out all the air. The air is what gives the bread those gorgeous irregular holes.
Helpful tools
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- Irish Soda Bread with Raisins and Caraway Seeds
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Homemade Ciabatta Bread
This simple Ciabatta Bread recipe will give you a rustic Italian loaf that is perfect for dipping into soups or sauces. The high hydration in this bread results in a wonderfully chewy center and tons of irregular holes.
Ingredients
- 4 and 1/4 cups bread flour divided
- 2 cups water divided
- 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast or active dry yeast*
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
Instructions
Make the sponge
In a medium-sized bowl combine 1 and 1/2 cups (200g) of the flour, 1 cup (240ml) of the water, and yeast. Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture is well mixed and free of lumps.
Cover the bowl will plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, at least 12 hours but up to 24 hours. This will add a lot of structure and flavor to the finished bread.
Make the bread
Remove the sponge from the refrigerator and add the remaining water. Gently run a rubber spatula around the outer edge to release the sponge from the bowl. The water you just added will make this easier.
Transfer the sponge mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the remaining flour and salt.
Beat on low speed for 1 minute. Turn the speed up one notch and beat for another minute. Then turn the speed up one more notch and beat until the dough starts to release from the sides of the bowl, about 4 minutes.
Drizzle the olive oil in a large bowl and rub it around to evenly coat the inside of the bowl. With wet hands, transfer the dough to the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 45 minutes.
Using a well-greased scraper, gently fold the dough over onto itself. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for another 45 minutes. Repeat this step once more and let the dough rise for a final 45 minutes.
Liberally flour your work surface with flour and let the dough slide out of the bowl onto the counter. Be very gently here so you don't knock all the air out of the dough and try to handle the dough as little as possible.
Liberally dust the top of the dough with flour. Using 2 well-floured bench scrapers, carefully manipulate the dough from the sides to form a square. Take care not to put pressure on top of the dough.
Cut the dough in half, down the middle of the square. Gently shape each half into 2 loaves by using the bench scrapers to manipulate the sides.
Lay a lint-free baking towel over a large baking sheet and liberally dust it with flour. Using both bench scrapers, slide them under both ends of the dough and transfer the dough to the prepared cloth. Fold the cloth up in the middle to separate and support the loaf. Repeat with the remaining loaf.
Cover the dough with another lint-free cloth and let it rest for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, adjust the oven rack to the lowest position. Place a large inverted baking sheet on the rack and preheat the oven to 450F.
Cut 2 pieces of parchment paper to about 12x6-inches. Place the parchment paper on a pizza peel or inverted rimmed baking sheet.
Using the cloth, gently roll the first dough loaf over to loosen it. Carefully slide your fingers under each end of the dough and transfer it to the prepared parchment paper. Repeat with the second loaf.
Dust off any excess flour and spray the loaves lightly with water
Carefully slide the parchment with loaves on the heated baking sheet in the oven using a jerking motion.
Bake, spraying the loaves with water twice more during the first 5 minutes of baking time, until the crust is a deep golden brown, about 22-27 minutes. The internal temperature of the bread should be 205-210°F.
Transfer to an oven rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
*Instant yeast is highly recommended for this recipe because it's effective and reliable. If you must use active try yeast, you'll need to activate it in warm water before using. Take 1/4 cup of the water needed for the sponge and warm it to 110°F, stir in 1 teaspoon sugar and the yeast. Let it sit for 5 minutes, until it's foamy, then add it to the flour. If the yeast doesn't foam, it is not good and you'll need to start over.
Nutritional values here on my recipes should be used as a general guide only. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the values shown are just an estimate.
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Nancy
Thanks for this wonderful tutorial! Now I can make ciabatta bread with confidence!
Jen Sobjack
Thanks so much, Nancy!
Ava
My birthday is next week and I can justify my need for a KitchenAid stand mixer with your fabulous recipe!!
Jen Sobjack
Perfect!
Gayatri Patwardhan
Very nice tutorial of ciabatta bread . Thanks
Can you make this bread in bread making machine .?gayatri
Jen Sobjack
Honestly, I’ve never used a bread machine so I’m not sure if this recipe will work with one or not. I’m sorry, I wish I could be more helpful.
First time baking!
My first time ever making bread, and the bread came our great! Had my 8-year-old goddaughter helping out, and all went well!
Jen Sobjack
That’s awesome! Thanks for sharing your feedback!!
Bobby
Hi,
Just making sure it’s ¼ tsp of yeast and not ¼ oz. a package of dry yeast normally has 14 oz. I made the recipe and only put in ¼ tsp and it didn’t rise like my other bread recipes. I appreciate your input!
Jen Sobjack
It’s indeed 1/4 teaspoon of yeast. There are process photos and a video showing how the dough/bread will look throughout the process of making it. Most of the rise will happen once the dough goes into the oven. If it doesn’t rise at all, the yeast may be bad.
Bobby
Thanks for your reply! I wrote too fast. I finished the whole process and it came out perfect!
Thanks again!
Jen Sobjack
You’re very welcome! I’m happy to hear it came out perfect.
Bobby
Hi again! The first couple of times I made this bread, the crust came out really crunchy, which is the best part! Unfortunately the last two times, the crust came out soft. I’m following the recipe like always. Do you have any idea why this would happen?
Thanks again!
Jen Sobjack
First, make sure you are cooking the bread to the proper internal temperature before removing it. 205-210°F is a good baseline for a crusty bread. Also, make sure you are misting the oven with water during the first 5 minutes of baking. This will help promote a crispy crust.
Bobby
Sorry, meant to say that a package of yeast normally has ¼ oz.
Jason Mostiller
Hi, is the outside supposed to be hard like? Thanks.
Jen Sobjack
There will be a crust on the bread. It will soften if you store it wrapped in plastic wrap.
Jade
Can I use my so sourdough starter read off making a new sponge?
I’m trying to figure a way to use it up. IT is very active and I have been feeding it regularly for a month.
A fast reply would be great because I am going to try to make this today.
Thanks!
Jen Sobjack
Considering that’s exactly how starter is meant to be used, it should work just fine.
Peter
Hi there
I used 200g of flour and 240ml of water plus yeast.
Now I’m making a dough added the rest but still very like puncake mixture?!? More flour??
Thanks
Jen Sobjack
The sponge portion of this recipe will resemble pancake batter. Let that sit for 12-24 hours before making the dough. Once you add the remaining water and flour to the sponge, let the mixer run until the dough comes together. It should thicken and form a loose dough. I suggest taking a peek at the video in the recipe for a better understanding of how everything should look through the process.
Adriaan
Have made this recipe a few times the flavour fabulious haveing a problem getting a more open crumb or holes, any tips or ideas i am in South Africa and at altitude
Thanks
Jen Sobjack
I don’t have experience baking at high altitude so I can’t really be of much help there. Is the dough rising at all? Are you seeing bubbles form on the surface of the dough as you let it rest? If the answer is yes, then you are on the right track. Just make sure you handle the dough gently so you don’t knock the air out.
Suca Becca
Happy Monday,
Im italian-brazilian and we loooove breads, but it can be hard to do it right from book recipes. Thank you for showing in detail ste by step. It is like having mom or grandpa (You re younger than me – just a way to explain 🙂 ) lovingly teaching fool proof how to make it.
I made the sponge last night and finished the bread this morning. Delicious – my ten year old boy devoured 1 whole bread (and he is a slim frame LOL)
Thank you and have a blessed week,
xo
Suca Beccaro
Jen Sobjack
Hi Suca! I’m so glad you found the step-by-step photos helpful and that your family enjoyed the bread!
Judy
I love ciabatta bread and this is my first time making it. I went step by step as per your written and video instructions except I kneaded the dough by hand. And my final dough isn’t as relaxed or pretty as yours in the video. I made another starter and have it in the refrigerator to give it another go tomorrow.
Jen Sobjack
I’m surprised you were able to knead it by hand since the dough is really sticky. I have a feeling you may have incorporated too much flour while hand kneading which resulted in a stiffer dough.
Nick Southam
Hi, I also tried 1/4 tsp yeast. Not getting much rise. Checked some other recipes, and they recommended 7.0g of yeast, as opposed to 1.2g. I’ve chucked some more in and will seemhow it goes 🙂
Jen Sobjack
As mentioned in previous comments, 1/4 teaspoon is the correct amount of yeast for this recipe. You can see from the video, the bread will not rise much until it goes into the oven. The dough will be marshmallowy and full with air bubbles though. And I highly suggest using instant yeast because it’s way more effective and reliable.