Homemade Ciabatta Bread Recipe
This Homemade Ciabatta Bread recipe delivers a rustic, airy Italian loaf with a crisp crust and tender crumb. Made with simple ingredients like flour, yeast, salt, and water, this easy-to-follow method results in authentic ciabatta perfect for sandwiches or dipping in olive oil. No bread machine needed, just patience for the rises and a hot oven for baking.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf 1x
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups (360g) all-purpose or bread flour
- 1 ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp instant yeast
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup (240ml) lukewarm water
- 1 tbsp olive oil (for greasing)
Instructions
- Make the Dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and yeast. Add the lukewarm water and stir with a spoon or spatula until a soft, sticky dough forms. It should look rough but uniform. Cover the dough with a damp towel or plastic wrap to retain moisture.
- First Rise (1 hour): Leave the covered dough to rise at room temperature for about 1 hour until it doubles in size and bubbles form on the surface, indicating active fermentation.
- Fold and Rest Again (30 minutes): Lightly flour your work surface, gently turn out the dough, and fold it over itself 2–3 times to develop structure while keeping it loose. Transfer the dough to a floured parchment-lined baking sheet, dust the top lightly with flour, cover loosely, and let it rest for another 30 minutes to rise further.
- Preheat and Bake: Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C). Bake the loaf for 22 to 25 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the bread sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, ensuring it is fully baked inside.
- Cool and Serve: Remove the bread from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack. Cooling preserves the bread’s airy texture and prevents it from becoming soggy or gummy before slicing.
Notes
- Use lukewarm water to activate the yeast without killing it.
- Do not over-knead; ciabatta dough is meant to be sticky and rough.
- Folding the dough helps develop gluten and shape the loaf without heavy kneading.
- Make sure the oven is fully preheated for the best crust development.
- Allow the bread to cool fully to avoid a gummy crumb.
Keywords: ciabatta, homemade bread, Italian bread, rustic bread, easy bread recipe
Find it online: https://heutigemahlzeiten.com/homemade-ciabatta-bread-recipe/
