Ciabatta Bread Recipe: Simple Steps for Success

April 20, 2026

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This Ciabatta Bread Recipe is an Italian basic. Its crisp golden crust and lightweight ethereal texture make it excellent for sandwiches, dipping in olive oil, or having fun with by itself. Whether or not recent from the oven or toasted, it’s a bakery-quality bread that’s each easy and irresistible!

Ciabatta bread is rustic, ethereal, and delightfully chewy! It’s fluffy on the within and crusty on the surface with the right quantity of substance to it. It’s an ideal car for dipping, or tastes nice by itself with a pat of butter.

Make the Finest Ciabatta Bread

This can be a very moist dough that may be onerous to deal with. Be sure to have moist fingers when working the dough.

For greatest outcomes, measure the components with a digital scale.

There are numerous steps to this recipe, which can appear intimidating. I’ve achieved all of the testing and onerous work so that you can be sure this recipe seems completely, so when you observe the directions, you’ll have scrumptious ciabatta bread too! I’ll throw in some notes alongside the best way that will help you in your baking course of.

Substances for Ciabatta Bread

The very best factor about this bread is that it makes use of solely a handful of straightforward components. Nothing fancy, simply good outdated pantry staples that come collectively to type an ideal rustic loaf! Right here’s what you want:

All-purpose flour
Energetic dry yeast
Bread flour
Sea salt
Olive oil
Heat water- for rising
Ice- for shaping and baking

For an in depth record of components, see the printable recipe card on the backside of the publish!

Process photos for making Ciabatta Bread dough.

How one can Make Ciabatta Bread

Let’s begin by making a sponge, or yeast starter. Do that the night earlier than you intend to bake the bread.

For the sponge

In a small bowl, add the all-purpose flour, yeast, and heat water. Utilizing a whisk, stir to mix till there aren’t any lumps seen. Cowl and permit to sit down on the counter at room temperature in a single day or for 12 hours.

Make the Bread Dough

Within the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add the sponge that was created the evening earlier than to 1 cup of heat water. Utilizing a whisk, stir till totally mixed. The combination will look very cloudy.

Add the bread flour and salt to the bowl of the stand mixer. Flip the mixer to low pace and stir to totally incorporate the flour. Then improve the pace to medium and permit the mixer to work the dough for six minutes. (It is going to be very moist and sticky)

Scrape the ciabatta dough from the paddle and swap the paddle for the dough hook. Flip the mixer to medium pace and permit the machine to knead the dough for 8 minutes. At this level, you will note the dough pulling away from the perimeters of the bowl. The dough will turn into shiny and begin holding its form.

Grease a big bowl with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and place the dough into the blending bowl. Drizzle one other tablespoon of olive oil on prime of the dough and use your fingers or a brush to utterly cowl the floor of the dough with a skinny layer of olive oil. Cowl the dough with plastic wrap or a tea towel and let the dough rise for 4 hours.

Stretch and Fold

As soon as the dough has doubled in dimension, it’s time to observe the stretch and fold course of. Moist your fingers, take a small part of the dough from one aspect, and stretch the dough upwards, folding the dough over itself in direction of the middle of the dough ball. (When doing this, simply stretch and fold the dough over gently, making an attempt to keep away from popping the entire bubbles in your dough. It’s going to lead to a fluffier bread.)

Repeat this course of, stretching and folding all sides of the dough. Cowl and put aside for half-hour.

Repeat this course of 3 extra instances for 4 complete stretch/fold/flip processes.

Bake the Bread

As soon as the final stretch and fold course of has completed, let the dough relaxation for half-hour. When you wait, prepare 2 racks in your oven into the middle and backside. Place a baking sheet pan within the heart and a forged iron skillet (or different oven-safe skillet) on the underside rack and preheat to 425°F (218°C).

Place a chunk of parchment paper concerning the dimension of your baking pan on the counter (to the aspect) and mud it with flour.

Put 1 cup of ice in a measuring cup and put aside.

Sprinkle your counter with flour and end up the dough onto your floured work floor. Minimize the dough into 2 items for loaves or 12 items for buns. Mud the highest of the dough with flour and place the dough items on the ready piece of parchment paper.

As soon as the oven has come to temperature, take away the baking sheet from the oven, and place the piece of parchment paper with the dough on it onto the baking sheet. Place the baking sheet with the bread within the oven and a couple of cups of ice within the forged iron skillet.

Bake at 425° F for 25 minutes or till the bread is golden brown. Let it cool earlier than slicing, and luxuriate in!

Two loaves of bread on a cutting board with a bowl of olive oil dipping sauce.

Recipe Ideas

Guarantee that your water is heat and never scorching. Utilizing water that’s too scorching will kill the yeast and lead to bread that doesn’t rise. You possibly can purpose for about 90°F (32°C).
Moist your fingers earlier than stretching and folding your dough. This can be a sticky dough, and wetting your fingers will make it simpler to work with.
Just remember to use sufficient olive oil to coat the whole ball of dough so it doesn’t dry out and type a crust whereas rising.
Be conservative with the extra flour that you simply add to your counter. You possibly can all the time add extra when you want it, however an excessive amount of flour can’t be simply taken out and might trigger your bread to be dry.

Slices of bread on a cutting board with a bowl of dipping sauce and a bowl of olives.

FAQs

Do I would like so as to add the forged iron skillet and the ice to the oven?

Sure, if in any respect potential, use a forged iron skillet. It conducts warmth nicely and will get extremely popular within the oven. Including the ice to the new forged iron skillet will instantly create a plume of steam. The steam helps give rise to the bread whereas creating a standard chewy crust on the surface of your bread.

How do I retailer my Ciabatta Bread?

You probably have leftover ciabatta bread, you’ll be able to retailer it both at room temperature or within the fridge. Both means, be sure to retailer the bread in a bread bag, with beeswax wraps or an hermetic container to protect freshness. Your bread will keep recent for 1-2 days at room temperature or as much as per week within the fridge.

Can I make this forward of time and freeze it?

Sure! Make this ciabatta bread forward of time and freeze it so you’ve got recent bread readily available everytime you need it. Make the bread as directed and permit it to chill utterly. Wrap the bread in plastic wrap or foil and place it right into a resealable freezer bag. Your bread will keep recent for 3-4 months. Thaw earlier than slicing.

What do I serve with my Ciabatta Bread?

Ciabatta bread is the right aspect dish or snack to make you are feeling cozy and glad. Strive it with one or any mixture of the next serving concepts.

Olive oil – Dunk this bread in olive oil with a little bit of balsamic vinegar and sprinkle flaky salt for added crunch.
Make a sandwich – This ciabatta bread is ideal for sandwiches. Get pleasure from along with your favourite chilly cuts and spreads.
Garlic bread: Slice this bread and slather it with butter, minced garlic, and parmesan or mozzarella cheese for a slice of decadent garlic bread.
With soup – Add this bread to the aspect of any soup, like this Stuffed Pepper Soup recipe or Turkey Soup, and take in all of the deliciousness.

What different variations can I make?

You may make this ciabatta bread into both 12 personal-sized buns or 2 loaves. You can additionally do each and make 6 buns and 1 loaf, supplying you with some versatility.

Extra Scrumptious Do-it-yourself Bread Recipes

Strive one among these bread recipes subsequent time you are feeling like baking:

Be sure to Pin or print this recipe so you can also make selfmade Ciabatta Bread anytime!

Olive oil and Balsamic vinegar dripping off a slice of bread.

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Created by: Lynne Feifer