Description
This classic Ciabatta Bread recipe yields a light, airy, and crusty loaf perfect for sandwiches or serving alongside your favorite dishes. With a wet and sticky dough that requires gentle handling and careful folding, this bread develops a beautiful open crumb and crisp crust through a series of rises and folds before baking in the oven. Ideal for home bakers looking to master artisan bread making.
Ingredients
Scale
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoons active dry yeast (about half a packet)
- 1 ½ cups warm water (about 90° Fahrenheit)
- 2–3 cups bread flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- Olive oil (for coating bowl and hands)
- Flour (for dusting sheet pan and loaf)
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine yeast, warm water, 2 cups of bread flour, and salt. Mix on low speed until incorporated. Gradually add more flour a quarter cup at a time until the dough is wet but workable. Increase the mixer speed to medium and mix for an additional 3-4 minutes to develop gluten.
- First Rise: Remove dough from the mixer, place it in an olive oil-coated bowl, cover, and let it sit until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Keep hands oiled with olive oil to handle sticky dough.
- First Fold: Once doubled, gently stretch and fold the dough over itself to degas. Oil the bowl again if needed. Cover and let rest for 30-40 minutes.
- Second Fold and Rest: Perform a second fold after the rest. Then cover and allow the dough to rise again until nearly doubled, about 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and a liberal dusting of flour.
- Shape the Dough: Gently remove the dough and place it on the prepared sheet pan. Lightly stretch into an even rectangle, carefully avoiding pressing down to retain air bubbles.
- Final Rise: Cover and let the dough rise for another 30-45 minutes until it becomes raised and airy. Preheat the oven to 420° Fahrenheit during this stage.
- Bake: Dust the top of the loaf with flour. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-25 minutes until the bread is a light golden color with some brown spots, indicating a crusty exterior.
Notes
- Keep your hands and bowl coated with olive oil to manage the sticky dough easily.
- Do not press down on the dough when shaping to preserve its airy texture.
- The dough is intentionally wet and sticky—this is key to achieving the ciabatta’s open crumb.
- If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can mix and knead the dough by hand, though it will be stickier and require a bit more effort.
- Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing to maintain its airy structure.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: Ciabatta Bread, Italian Bread, Artisan Bread, Homemade Bread, Crusty Bread, Soft Bread, Bread Recipe
