Cakes & Bread
Italian Ciabatta Bread, Soft and Airy Inside with a Crispy Crust
Prep
870 min
Cook
25 min
Servings
3
Level
Medium
Ciabatta is a traditional Italian bread whose name means "slipper," inspired by its flat, elongated shape. This bread is known for its crispy, golden crust on the outside, while the inside stays soft with big, irregular holes — perfect for sandwiches or for dipping in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The fairly long fermentation process gives this bread its distinctive aroma and naturally savory flavor.
🧂 Ingredients
🍽️ Servings: 3
Adjust the servings and the ingredient amounts & nutrition below update automatically.
- 500 grams High-protein bread flour
- 400 ml Cold water
- 3 grams Instant yeast
- 10 grams Salt
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- to taste Flour for dusting (starter/poolish)
- 2 tbsp Semolina or cornmeal for dusting the surface
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👩🍳 Instructions
- 1 First, make the poolish (starter): combine 150 grams of flour, 150 ml of water, and 1 gram of instant yeast in a bowl. Stir until well combined, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit at room temperature for 12-16 hours or overnight until foamy and it smells pleasantly sour.
- 2 The next day, combine the poolish with the remaining flour (350 grams), remaining water (250 ml), and remaining instant yeast (2 grams) in a large bowl. Stir until there are no more lumps of flour; the dough will look very sticky and wet - this is normal for ciabatta.
- 3 Let the dough rest for 20 minutes (this is the autolyse process) so the gluten starts to form on its own without kneading.
- 4 Add the salt and olive oil to the dough. Knead using the stretch and fold technique right in the bowl for 3-4 minutes. The dough will still feel very sticky - don't be tempted to add more flour.
- 5 Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes. Do another round of stretch and fold for 1 minute, then let it rest again for 30 minutes. Repeat this process 3-4 times total over 2 hours to build up the gluten structure.
- 6 Once you're done folding, let the dough rest in a covered bowl for 1-1.5 hours until it has nearly doubled in size and is full of air bubbles.
- 7 Dust your work surface generously with flour. Carefully pour out the dough without deflating the gas inside. Dust the top of the dough with flour as well.
- 8 Cut the dough into 2-3 pieces using a dough scraper (do not knead or shape into rounds). Give each piece a simple elongated shape, following the dough's natural form.
- 9 Transfer each piece of dough onto parchment paper dusted with semolina or cornmeal. Cover with a clean cloth and let rest again for 30-45 minutes until slightly puffed up.
- 10 Preheat the oven to 230°C (450°F). If you have one, place an empty baking pan on the bottom rack of the oven to create steam later. Bake the bread for 20-25 minutes until the crust is golden brown and sounds hollow with a 'tok-tok' sound when you tap the bottom.
- 11 Spray water into the oven (onto the empty pan) right after putting the bread in to create steam that helps the crust turn crispy.
- 12 Remove the bread and let it cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before slicing so the interior texture sets perfectly.
💡 Tips
• Don't be afraid of a very sticky, wet dough - this is the main key to ciabatta's signature big, airy holes, so avoid adding too much extra flour.
• Use a dough scraper to make it easier to handle the sticky dough without having to touch it too much with your hands.
• The overnight fermentation of the poolish is essential for developing ciabatta's distinctive flavor and aroma, so don't skip or rush this step.
• For an even crispier crust, spray water onto the oven walls or place ice cubes on a hot baking pan to create steam at the start of baking.
📊 Nutrition Facts / serving
260
Calories (kcal)
8 g
Protein
3 g
Fat
48 g
Carbs
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