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Freshly baked ciabatta rolls
Crispy homemade ciabatta rolls Italian style

Homemade Italian ciabatta rolls

Author: Flavelo
Recipes
Ciabatta ('slipper' in Italian) is the high school of bread baking, but don't be alarmed: the secret lies not in complex technique but in high water content. This very soft, almost liquid dough gives the finished bread its characteristic crumb full of huge holes and crispy, thin crust. It's a game of patience, but when you break open the freshly baked, olive oil-scented 'slipper', you'll understand why it's worth the wait.
🕒 Prep Time 30 mins
🍳 Cook Time 25 mins
⌛ Total Time 3 hrs
🍽️ Servings 6 servings
🔥 Calories 280 kcal
🌍 Cuisine Italian

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • Large mixing bowl
  • Spatula or wooden spoon (hard by hand as it sticks)
  • Baking tray
  • Small bowl of water (for steam in the oven)
  • Floured tea towel or baking parchment

Allergen Information

⚠️ Cereals containing gluten

Instructions

1 ✓

Dissolve the yeast in the tepid water. Mix the flour with the salt in a bowl.

Tip: Tepid water activates the yeast.
2 ✓

Pour the yeast water and oil into the flour. Mix with a wooden spoon or mixer dough hook. You will get a sticky, dumpling-like mass.

Tip: Don't be scared of the consistency! High water content (hydration) creates the steam that blows big holes in the dough.
3 ✓

Cover and leave to rise for 45 minutes. Then, with wet hands, reach under the dough, lift the edge and fold it over the middle (stretch and fold). Rotate the bowl and repeat from 4 sides.

Tip: Folding strengthens the gluten structure without pushing out the air, so the dough will be able to hold its structure.
4 ✓

Leave to rise for another 45 minutes, then repeat the folding. Finally, prove for another 45 minutes (approx 2-2.5 hours total) until bubbly and wobbly.

Tip: The dough should be full of visible bubbles.
5 ✓

Tip the dough onto a GENEROUSLY floured surface. Sprinkle the top with flour too. Carefully, so as not to break the bubbles, cut the dough into 2-3 oblong pieces (or 6 smaller rolls).

Tip: Do not re-knead! Just cut and pull them apart (like a slipper). The flour layer protects it from sticking to you.
6 ✓

Place them on a baking tray lined with parchment. Preheat the oven to 220°C and place a heatproof bowl of water at the bottom.

Tip: A steamy oven is essential: it keeps the dough surface soft in the first few minutes so the bread can expand to the max before the crust hardens.
7 ✓

Bake for 20-25 minutes until dark golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Tip: Only slice when cooled, otherwise the inside will remain gummy from trapped steam.

Recipe FAQ

The dough is too runny, I can't shape it. Did I mess up?
No! Ciabatta dough should be soft like dumpling dough (high hydration). Do not add more flour, instead handle it gently and use plenty of flour on the surface for shaping.
Why didn't it get big holes?
You either over-kneaded and pushed the gas out, or didn't prove it long enough. With ciabatta, proving bubbles must be 'trapped', not pressed out.

Ingredients

  • 500 g Strong white bread flour (preferably high gluten)
  • 350 ml Water (tepid)
  • 10 g Fresh yeast (or 3g dried yeast)
  • 10 g Salt
  • 30 ml Olive oil