Description
This homemade ciabatta bread delivers a golden crust and airy interior with minimal hands-on work. Perfect for sandwiches, dipping, or enjoying warm with butter, this artisan-style loaf uses a high-hydration dough and simple ingredients to create bakery-level results right from your kitchen.
Ingredients
500 g bread flour
400 ml water
2 tsp active dry yeast or instant yeast
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
1. In a large bowl, combine flour, yeast, and salt. Add water and olive oil, mixing until no dry bits remain. Dough will be sticky.
2. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes. Then perform a set of stretch and folds: lift one edge, stretch it up, fold it over. Rotate and repeat on all four sides.
3. Repeat the stretch and fold process 2 more times, spaced 30–45 minutes apart.
4. Cover the dough and let it rise at room temperature for 1.5–2 hours, or until doubled in size.
5. Flour your work surface well. Gently tip out the dough and divide it into two or three rectangular pieces using a bench scraper.
6. Transfer the shaped loaves to parchment-lined baking trays. Cover and let rise for 45–60 minutes.
7. Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). If possible, place a tray of hot water in the oven to create steam.
8. Bake for 20–25 minutes or until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped.
9. Let cool before slicing and serving.
Notes
Wet dough is key: do not add extra flour even if it feels sticky. Wet hands help with handling.
Avoid deflating the dough when shaping—this preserves those airy holes.
To get a crackly crust, bake with steam by adding a pan of water in the oven or misting the walls.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/12 of recipe)
- Calories: 160
- Sugar: 0.2 g
- Sodium: 390 mg
- Fat: 2 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 31 g
- Fiber: 1.2 g
- Protein: 5.5 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg