Italian Ciabatta
Bake your own authentic Italian ciabatta at home with a delightfully crisp crust and large, airy air pockets inside.
Ingredients
- •3 and 1/2 cups bread flour (420g)
- •1 and 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast (5g)
- •1 and 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt (9g)
- •1 and 1/4 cups lukewarm water (300ml)
- •2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (30ml)
- •1 teaspoon honey (7g)
Instructions
- 1
In a large bowl, whisk together the bread flour and active dry yeast.
- 2
In a separate measuring cup, mix the lukewarm water, extra virgin olive oil, honey, and fine sea salt until dissolved.
- 3
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry flour mixture and stir with a spatula until a very wet, sticky dough forms with no dry flour visible.
- 4
Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let the dough ferment at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours, or until bubbly and doubled in size.
- 5
Generously dust your work surface with flour. Gently scrape the sticky dough out of the bowl onto the flour, trying not to deflate the air bubbles.
- 6
Dust the top of the dough with more flour and gently press it into a rough rectangle about 1-inch thick.
- 7
Cut the dough lengthwise into 2 or 3 long strips using a bench scraper, then cut each strip across to create individual rustic rectangles.
- 8
Carefully transfer the shaped loaves onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, gently stretching them slightly as you move them.
- 9
Let the loaves rest uncovered at room temperature for 30 minutes while you preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) with a baking stone or inverted baking sheet inside.
- 10
Bake the ciabatta for 20 to 25 minutes until the crust is deeply golden brown and the loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
- 11
Transfer the baked ciabatta to a wire rack and let cool completely before slicing.
💡 Chef tips
- For an even crispier crust, place a small metal pan of boiling water on the bottom rack of the oven during the first 10 minutes of baking to create steam.
- Bread flour has a higher protein content which is essential for achieving the classic chewy texture and large holes of ciabatta; do not substitute with all-purpose flour if possible.
- Store leftover baked ciabatta in a paper bag at room temperature for up to 2 days, or slice and freeze it for up to 2 months.
✅ How it should turn out
The finished ciabatta features a rustic, crackly crust with a light golden hue, and when sliced open reveals a wonderfully irregular, chewy interior with a rich, yeasty aroma.