ciabatta
Ciabatta recipe: authentic Italian bread with rustic crust and soft center. Get inspired to make your kitchen smell like an Italian bakery!
Ingredients
Method
- In a large bowl, combine bread flour, instant yeast, and salt. Mix well.
- Add room temperature water and olive oil to the dry ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon until all the flour is just barely incorporated. The dough will be very sticky.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours, or until the dough is doubled in size and covered with bubbles.
- Dust a work surface generously with flour. Carefully turn the dough onto the surface. With floured hands, shape the dough into a rough rectangle, being careful not to deflate the air pockets.
- Sprinkle more flour on top, then cover with a kitchen towel and let it rest for 1 hour to rise.
- Thirty minutes before baking, preheat your oven to 230°C (450°F) with a baking stone or an inverted baking tray inside.
- Transfer the risen dough to a piece of parchment paper. Using a bench scraper, cut the dough into two equal parts and gently stretch each into a rough oval shape.
- Carefully slide the ciabatta loaves with the parchment onto the preheated baking stone or tray. Bake for 21 minutes, or until golden and crusty.
- Let the bread cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Enjoy your homemade ciabatta!
Notes
Ciabatta is renowned for its rustic crust and delightfully airy crumb, making it a versatile Italian bread that can transform any meal or snack. Freshly baked, it’s the perfect canvas for both simple olive oil dips and hearty sandwiches.
Consider these tips for flawless ciabatta: this dough is very wet and sticky; don’t be tempted to add more flour. Embrace the stickiness—it’s key for those signature open holes! If you find shaping tricky, dust your hands and surface well with flour.
Prefer a more pronounced flavor? Letting the dough ferment on the longer end of the suggested time (up to 18 hours) develops extra complexity and aroma.
Substitutions work too: bread flour is ideal for its high protein, but all-purpose flour can be used if needed, though the crumb may be slightly less airy. If you want a hint of nuttiness, swap a small portion of the white flour for whole wheat—just be mindful it can tighten the texture.
