I will say, I’ve also made this recipe in 3 hours in warmer months! The point is, this is the perfect recipe for beautifully airy, crispy ciabatta bread FAST!
This recipe is for you if you:
- want bread fast
- are a beginner/intermediate/advanced home baker
- love really good sandwiches
- hate store-bought bread that has 30 ingredients and costs $10
- are ready to prove to yourself that you can, in fact, bake
- want to impress your friends and family
There comes point in every bread bakers journey, where you’ve gone so far down the rabbit hole of bread baking – pushing fermentation timelines further than anyone thought possible – that you realize you absolutely LOVE effortless loaves of ciabatta because they’re so simple and satisfying to make.
This homemade ciabatta recipe is that girl. A simple and EASY back pocket gem of a recipe to come back to again and again.
Tools you’ll Need
large mixing bowl (a great set of 3 on Amazon) – feel self explanatory, we’re mixing this dough up by hand – no mixer necessary.
wooden spoon or Danish dough whisk (Amazon link) – this dough has a higher hydration level than many others, and the Danish dough whisk handles the task very well. Don’t sweat if you don’t have one, a wooden spoon works perfectly well.
parchment paper – there’s no world where your bread is going to stick to the sheet pan. parchment paper is a must!
Baking steel (optional) – you have the choice to bake this homemade ciabatta on a rimmed baking sheet, or directly onto a preheated baking steel. The baking steel will make the bottom of the loaf super crispy which is always lovely. If you bake at home often, it’s perfect for homemade pizzas, pita bread, and baguettes.
rimmed baking sheet pan – almost any baking sheet will do, but I love these Nordic ware pans, they last forever…you have no excuses – lol in millennial.
INGREDIENTS – THEY’RE SIMPLE!
bread flour – I prefer to use bread flour made by King Arthur Flour. I find that their flours always deliver consistent results, and the higher protein content in the AP helps with gluten development. better gluten development = better bread!
water – the temperature of the water is important. It should be warm room temperature, around 80 degrees F.
dry active yeast – yeast is what makes our dough rise. You can instant yeast or dry active yeast, both will work equally well. If you’re looking for a Sourdough Ciabatta recipe, click here!
kosher salt – I always bake with kosher salt, I like the level of salinity and the clean flavor. My favorite brand is Morton’s, but if you’re using Diamond Crystal add another 2 grams of salt.
sugar or honey – just a bit, to activate the yeast!
Want more easy bread recipes? Check out
How to stretch and fold ciabatta dough
This is a gentle way of developing gluten strength.
With damp hands, gently stretch up one side of the dough, then lay it over the remainder of the dough. Turn the bowl 90°, and lift up the next side of dough as far as it will stretch without tearing, then fold it over. Repeat until all sides have been stretched and folded.
Cover the bowl again, and let the dough rest for 10 minutes. Then repeat 1-2 more times. By the end of the stretch and fold process, the dough should feel smoother and more elastic.
Step-by-Step Ciabatta Tutorial
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the warm water, active yeast, honey, and olive oil. Use a mix to combine, to allow the yeast to dissolve and activate.
- To the bowl, add the unbleached all purpose flour and salt. Use a wooden spoon or Danish dough whisk to mix, and bring the dough together until there are no remaining pockets of flour. The dough will be very sticky and wet at this point.
- Cover the bowl with plastic, a tea towel, or a disposable shower cap, and let rest for 10 minutes. This is the autolyse phase that allows the flour to absorb the water, and helps with gluten development!
- Uncover the bowl, and begin the stretch and fold process.
- Repeat the stretch and fold process 1 to 2 more times, then cover the dough and let it rise for another 45 minutes to 1 hour, until puffy, bubbly, and doubled in size.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, then sprinkle the parchment paper with flour.
- Generously sprinkle your work surface with flour, and pour the dough out onto the surface. Gently fold it over itself in half. Use a bench scraper or sharp knife to cut the dough exactly in half, being careful not to deflate the dough.
- Gently transfer each piece of dough to the prepared baking sheet. Flour your hands, and use your hands to scoot each piece of dough into a rectangle shape about 6 inches wide, and 10 inches long. It doesn’t have to be perfect.
- Preheat the oven to 450℉ while the dough rests for another 30 minutes.
- Spray the tops of the dough with water, or drop 3-4 ice cubes into the bottom of the oven to create steam.
- Bake the ciabatta bread for 22-25 minutes until the crust is deeply golden brown and crispy.
- Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing. Perfect for artisan sandwiches, garlic bread, or alongside cozy pots of soup.
- Store the bread in an airtight container for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.
When you make this Easy Homemade Ciabatta Bread (first of all, thank you!!), be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram so I can be sure to see what you’re making!
Let’s stay in touch! Sign up for my Newsletter here, don’t worry – I’m not spammy, I promise!
xo LeAnne
Easy Ciabatta Bread in 4 Hours
Ingredients
- 480 g warm water, about 85℉ 2 cups
- 11 6 dry active yeast 2 ¼ teaspoons
- 510 g bread flour about 4 ¼ cups
- 6 g kosher salt, I use Morton's 1 ½ teaspoons
- ½ teaspoon honey, to activate the yeast
- 20 g olive oil 1 tablespoon
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, combine the warm water, dry active yeast, honey, and olive oil. Use a whisk to combine, dissolving and activating the yeast.
To the bowl, add the unbleached all purpose flour and salt. Use a wooden spoon or Danish dough whisk to mix, and bring the dough together until there are no remaining pockets of flour. The dough will be very sticky and wet at this point.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, a tea towel, or a disposable shower cap, and let rest for 10 minutes. This is the autolyse phase that allows the flour to absorb the water, and helps with gluten development!
Uncover the bowl, and begin the stretch and fold process.
This is a gentle way of developing gluten strength. With damp hands, gently stretch up one side of the dough, then lay it over the remainder of the dough. Turn the bowl 90°, and lift up the next side of dough as far as it will stretch without tearing, then fold it over. Repeat until all sides have been stretched and folded.
Cover the bowl again, and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
Repeat the stretch and fold process 1 to 2 more times, then cover the dough and let it rise for another 45 minutes to 1 hour, until puffy, bubbly, and doubled in size.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, then sprinkle the parchment paper with flour.
Generously sprinkle your work surface with flour, and pour the dough out onto the surface. Gently fold it over itself in half. Use a bench scraper or sharp knife to cut the dough exactly in half, being careful not to deflate the dough.
Gently transfer each piece of dough to the prepared baking sheet. Flour your hands, and use your hands to scoot each piece of dough into a rectangle shape about 6 inches wide, and 10 inches long. It doesn't have to be perfect.
Preheat the oven to 450℉ while the dough rests for another 30 minutes.
Spray the tops of the dough with water, or drop 3-4 ice cubes into the bottom of the oven to create steam.
Bake the ciabatta bread for 22-25 minutes until the crust is deeply golden brown and crispy.
Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing. Perfect for artisan sandwiches, garlic bread, or alongside cozy pots of soup.
Store the bread in an airtight container for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.
The post Easy Ciabatta Recipe in 4 Hours first appeared on Lion’s Bread Blog.
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