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 for dipping in soup or soaking up a 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 2: 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 3: 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 4: 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 5: 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.
I don’t have a mixer. Can I use a food processor? Or can I mix by hand?
A stand mixer is recommended for this recipe! This dough is high hydration, meaning it is very sticky. A stand mixer with paddle attachment is the best and easiest way to mix it.
You can try mixing it with a wooden spoon and kneading it by hand but be mindful that adding more flour during kneading will affect how the bread turns out.
I don't recommend using a food processor for mixing. This method only works if the dough is under 75% hydration. Here's a great article from Cooks Illustrated that explains how to knead bread in a food processor.
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.
More yeast bread recipes you'll love
- Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
- Chocolate Swirl Bread with Cherries
- Rosemary Cheese Bread (Dutch Oven)
- Rosemary Olive Beer Bread
Some quick bread recipes you might like
- Irish Soda Bread with Raisins and Caraway Seeds
- Best Ever Banana Bread
- Cheddar Jalapeno Buttermilk Bread
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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 1/4 cups (553g) bread flour, measured correctly & divided
- 2 cups (480g) water, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast, or active dry yeast, SEE NOTE 1
- 1 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 (240g) 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 1 cup (240g) 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 2 and 3/4 cups (353g) flour and the 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. You may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl in order to get the dough to mix together properly.
- 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. (The dough isn't going to rise much during this stage. Don'tpanic, this is normal for this recipe.)
- 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. (The dough will rise slightly and should resemble a puffy marshmallow. It will be loose and full of gas. Once you place the dough into the hot oven, it will quickly puff up.)
- 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.
Notes
It's very important to measure the ingredients correctly! While I do list cup measurements, if you do not measure accurately, the dough will not form properly. For 100% success with this recipe, please use the weight measurements. This is a high hydration dough. It's difficult to work with and requires patience.
- Instant yeast is highly recommended for this recipe because it's effective and reliable. If you must use active dry yeast, you'll need to activate it before using. Take the 1 cup (240g) water needed for the sponge and warm it to 110°F, stir in 1 teaspoon sugar and the 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast. Let it sit for 5 minutes until it's foamy. If the yeast doesn't foam, it is not good and you'll need to start over. Stir the yeast mixture into 1 1/2 cups (200g) of the flour with a wooden spoon until it's mixed well and free of lumps. Continue with step 2 of making the sponge.
- A stand mixer is recommended for this recipe! This dough is high hydration, meaning it is very sticky. A stand mixer with Paddle Attachment is the best and easiest way to mix it. You can try mixing it with a wooden spoon and kneading it by hand but be mindful that adding more flour during kneading will affect how the bread turns out.
- It is highly recommended to use the weight measurements for this recipe. This will give you the most accurate measurements leading to the very best results. Kitchen scales are inexpensive and can be purchased at most home good type stores including Walmart, Target, and Amazon.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 2 12-inch loavesAmount Per Serving: Calories: 97Sodium: 176mgCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 3g
John says
If it's an 80% hydration bread, why does your list of ingredients have it at 40%? This is a bad recipe, which would explain people asking what went wrong.
Jen Sobjack says
Actually, this is a great recipe! The hydration is 87%. To calculate the hydration of the bread, you must divide the water by the flour then multiply by 100. You need to click the metric tab so you can see the weight of each ingredient in order to get the proper calculation. The water is 480 grams and the flour is 553 grams. 480/553 x 100 = 87
Kane says
Hi jen, great recipe I love it!
One thing though.. you have written down the nutrional information per one slice and I don't no how big or small your slice is. Could you please give me the nutrional information per 100gram or something along those lines? Thank You!
Jen Sobjack says
Hi Kane, the nutritional values should only be used as a general guide since there are a ton of factors that could sway the calculations. If you want more specific calculations, I recommend using one of these online calculators:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/calculator
https://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp
https://www.verywell.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4129594
Ruben Mazo says
Just to say
I love this recipe!
Thank you. This my first time with this kind of bread .but it was a success.
Fred Crouch says
Easy as can be.
Neil McHugh says
Hi Jen,
Your recipe doesn't seem to add any further yeast when mixing the main dough, is that correct?
Jen Sobjack says
That's correct. No additional yeast is needed.
Jim Ewins says
I use a Cusinart Bread machine to mix the sponge and fresh flour and water, other wise I do the same ....works good, tastes great.
Mojgansalahshoorian says
Hi . Can i use enriched bleached all purpose flour?
Jen Sobjack says
Bread flour works best because of its high gluten content.
Saraha martincak says
Hi. Love your recipe, however, the bread came out very dense and doughy. What did I do wrong?
Jen Sobjack says
Hi Saraha! Unfortunately, it's really hard to say what you did wrong because I wasn't there to watch you make it. You could have measured the flour incorrectly, handled the dough to roughly, your oven could need calibrating... There's just no way for me to know where you went wrong.
Haley says
Im planning on making a rosemary bread- when do you suggest I add the rosemary? I was thinking about it for the sponge but I don't want to flavor to be too overwhelming?
Jen Sobjack says
I would wait to add it until you add the remaining flour and salt.
Jewel says
I followed the recipe, only skipped the towel part (I put the dough directly onto the parchment paper). It turned out very good. My son fought with us, the parents, for more bread, while my husband, who is trying to stay away from bread, had to exert tremendous self-control to stop himself :-). Only thing I would like to improve: the bread was not as chewy (a characteristic that makes a ciabata) as I would like. I have tried another recipe with active dry yeast before and left the sponge for 2 days. The bread did not come out as successful as this time, but a lot more chewy. Any advice?
Jen Sobjack says
The chewiness comes from the gluten in the flour and the high hydration in the dough. Make sure you are using bread flour. You can also try spritzing the oven with more water during the first 15 minutes. After the bread has baked, let it sit for a day to dry out some. This will also make it chewier.
Jewel says
Thank you for replying quickly, Jen. Very nice of you. FYI, I used bread flour and put a tin pan with tiny holes in it and filled with some water in the oven when baking. Another question I wanted to ask is, have you ever tried the recipe with whole wheat or 60% whole wheat bread flour? If so, what changes are necessary to make it airy? Thanks!
Jen Sobjack says
Unfortunately, I haven't made this bread with anything other than regular bread flour.
Jewel says
Made it again yesterday. This time, I measured the flour more carefully, having read the article on how to measure flour. The bread turned out perfectly airy with lots of irregular holes. This recipe sure is a keeper people! It makes me want to bake more. Thanks again, Jen!
Jen Sobjack says
That's fantastic to hear!!
Brigid Gerard says
I love this recipe but not into using white flour...I made it that way at first and it was great so the second time I only used white for the sponge and then a couple of T of gluten flour and the rest Einkhorn flour ...lower in gluten and lower glycemic levels for the blood as well as an uncorrupted heritage grain...it turned out great!
Shelly Baldwin says
Finding it hard to believe I only need 1/4 teaspoon dry active yeast. I’m using the little packages. I’ve made the sponge but concerned about wasting the flour if I proceed and it’s already wrong... thoughts? Thanks!
Jen Sobjack says
1/4 teaspoon is correct. This isn't a bread that is supposed to rise a ton and it will do most of the rising once it hits the heat of the oven. There's a video in the post to show how it should look through the process.
Tom Salmon says
It's been a long time since I have baked bread, mine just came out of the oven, and they look great. I am having a tough time waiting for them to cool. Just a comment for those using regular yeast, I did and used 1/4 teaspoon. It's doesn't foam a lot when activating, but you will see a very fine looking foam/froth and a few bubbles. It didn't rise a ton until I baked it, then it rose quite well.
Jen Sobjack says
I'm so glad you had success with this recipe! The bread definitely rises the most once it hits the heat of the oven. Enjoy!
Shanese says
First time making Ciabatta bread and it was delicious!! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe! I paired this to dip in some cream of celery soup.
Jen Sobjack says
It sounds great with cream of celery! Glad you enjoyed it!!
me says
whats the texture
Jen Sobjack says
It's soft and chewy on the inside and crusty on the outside.
Roy says
Hi
About The poolish how many grams of dry yeast? 200 grams of flour without connection to the whole 553 grsms from the recipe?
Jen Sobjack says
Hi Roy! I don't have gram measurements for the yeast. I just used 1/4 teaspoon and mixed it all into the poolish. Only 200 grams of the 553 grams of flour go into the poolish. The remaining 353 grams of flour will be added the next day when you make the bread.
Roy says
Also the water 240 gram from 480 gram water from all the bread, go to the poolish?
Jen Sobjack says
Yes, that's correct.