Recipes › Bread & Pizza › Ciabatta Bread Recipe

Ciabatta Bread Recipe

Recipe by Pedro M. A. Neves

Ciabatta is a rustic Italian bread with a crispy, golden crust and an open, airy crumb structure that's perfect for sandwiches or dipping in olive oil. This traditional Venetian loaf requires a long, cold fermentation to develop its distinctive flavor and texture. Making ciabatta at home rewards patience with superior taste and authenticity that rivals artisan bakeries.

Ingredients

• 500g (3.5 cups) bread flour
• 325ml (1.3 cups) lukewarm water
• 7g (1.5 teaspoons) fine sea salt
• 3g (0.75 teaspoon) instant yeast
• 30ml (2 tablespoons) extra virgin olive oil
• 15g (1 tablespoon) honey

Instructions

1. Mix 250ml lukewarm water with 3g instant yeast and let sit for 5 minutes until foamy. In a large bowl, combine 500g bread flour with 7g salt. Add the yeast mixture and remaining 75ml water, then stir with a wooden spoon for 8-10 minutes until a shaggy, wet dough forms.

2. Add 30ml olive oil and 15g honey to the dough. Continue mixing for 3-4 minutes until fully incorporated. The dough will be very wet and sticky—this is correct for ciabatta.

3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature (20-22°C) for 1.5-2 hours, performing four sets of stretch-and-folds every 30 minutes. To stretch-and-fold: wet your hand, grab one side of the dough, pull it up and fold over the top, rotate the bowl, and repeat.

4. After bulk fermentation, transfer the dough to a floured work surface. Gently shape it into a rough rectangle about 25cm × 15cm without pressing out too much gas. Divide into two equal pieces using a bench scraper.

5. Preheat your oven to 230°C (450°F). Place a cast iron pan or Dutch oven inside to heat. Dust two pieces of parchment paper generously with flour and transfer one shaped dough piece to each sheet.

6. Let the shaped dough rest on the parchment for 20-30 minutes at room temperature for final proofing. The dough should puff slightly but not double in volume.

7. Carefully transfer one piece of dough (with parchment) into the preheated pan. Bake for 22-25 minutes until the crust is deep golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Bake the second loaf while the first cools.

8. Remove ciabatta from the oven and cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before slicing. The crust will crisp further as it cools.

Substitutions

• Use 2g active dry yeast instead of instant yeast; activate separately in water for 10 minutes before adding to flour
• Replace bread flour with 450g all-purpose flour plus 50g whole wheat flour for a nuttier flavor with slightly denser crumb
• Omit honey and use 15g sugar or agave nectar instead
• Use 20ml vegetable oil in place of olive oil if preferred, though olive oil is traditional

Tips

• The wet dough is intentional and creates ciabatta's signature holes; resist the urge to add extra flour
• Use parchment paper when baking to prevent the dough from sticking and tearing during transfer to the hot pan
• A cast iron Dutch oven or Le Creuset creates steam that produces the signature crispy crust; alternatively, place a tray of ice at the bottom of the oven during baking
• For best flavor, cold-ferment the dough in the refrigerator for 8-16 hours after bulk fermentation instead of final proofing at room temperature

Ciabatta originated in the Veneto region of northern Italy in the 1980s as a response to French baguette imports, combining Italian wheat traditions with modern techniques to create a distinctly Italian loaf. The name means 'slipper' in Italian, referencing the bread's characteristic flat, oblong shape.

You might also like

Easy Cheesy Garlic Bread Recipe

18 min · Bread & Pizza

Easy Flatbread Pizza Recipe

25 min · Bread & Pizza

Easy Focaccia Recipe

55 min · Bread & Pizza

Easy Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe

120 min · Bread & Pizza