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The Best Ciabatta Bread Recipe

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4.4 from 6 reviews

This Best Ciabatta Bread Recipe yields perfectly chewy, airy loaves with a crisp crust and tender crumb. Featuring a long fermentation sponge and gentle folding technique, this recipe requires patience but results in a truly authentic artisan-style Italian bread ideal for sandwiches, dipping, or serving alongside meals.

  • Author: Chef
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes (plus 8-24 hours sponge fermentation and rises)
  • Cook Time: 22-27 minutes
  • Total Time: 11 hours 25 minutes (including long sponge fermentation and rising periods)
  • Yield: 18 servings (2 large ciabatta loaves)
  • Category: Bread
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

Sponge

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ⅛ teaspoon instant yeast
  • ½ cup water (at room temperature)

Dough

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1½ teaspoons salt
  • ½ teaspoon instant yeast
  • ¾ cup water (at room temperature)
  • ¼ cup whole or 2% milk (at room temperature)

Instructions

  1. Make the Sponge: Combine 1 cup flour, ⅛ teaspoon yeast, and ½ cup water in a medium bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon until uniform. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours to develop flavor and gluten.
  2. Make the Dough: Place the sponge and dough ingredients (2 cups flour, salt, yeast, water, and milk) into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed about 1 minute until shaggy dough forms, scraping down as needed. Increase speed to medium-low and mix 4-6 minutes until dough forms a cohesive mass that pulls away from bowl sides.
  3. Knead the Dough: Switch to the dough hook attachment and knead on medium speed for about 10 minutes until dough is smooth and shiny but remains sticky.
  4. First Rise: Transfer dough to a large bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let rise at room temperature until doubled, about 1 hour.
  5. Fold the Dough (1st Fold): Spray a rubber spatula or bowl scraper with non-stick spray. Gently lift and fold one edge of dough toward center, turn bowl 90 degrees and fold again. Repeat folding total 8 times to develop structure.
  6. Second Rise: Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 30 minutes at room temperature.
  7. Fold the Dough (2nd Fold): Repeat folding process as before. Cover and let rise again until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
  8. Prepare Oven and Baking Stone: Position oven rack to lower-middle and preheat oven to 450°F with a baking stone placed on the rack one hour before baking.
  9. Shape the Loaves: Cut two 12×6-inch pieces of parchment and dust with flour. Transfer dough to floured surface carefully to not deflate. Flour dough top, divide in half with bench scraper. Shape each piece into a rough 12×6-inch rectangle, fold shorter sides inward like a letter to form approx. 7×4-inch rectangles.
  10. Second Proof: Transfer loaves seam-side down onto parchment. Dust with flour, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes allowing bubbles to form on surface.
  11. Score and Bake: Slide parchment with loaves onto a pizza peel. Use floured fingertips to poke entire surface creating a 10×6-inch rectangle shape. Lightly spray loaves with water. Slide loaves and parchment onto heated baking stone. Spray loaves with water two more times in first 5 minutes of baking. Bake 22-27 minutes until deep golden brown and internal temperature reaches 210°F.
  12. Cool and Store: Transfer loaves to wire rack, discard parchment, and cool at least 1 hour before slicing. Store wrapped in plastic at room temperature up to 3 days or freeze wrapped in foil up to 1 month. To recrisp crust, thaw if frozen and bake unwrapped at 450°F for 6-8 minutes.

Notes

  • Use room temperature water and milk for proper yeast activation.
  • The sponge can be left fermenting up to 24 hours for deeper flavor.
  • Folding the dough multiple times strengthens gluten without aggressive kneading.
  • Preheating the baking stone ensures crisp crust and ideal oven spring.
  • Spraying water onto loaves during baking creates steam essential for a crusty exterior.
  • Cool bread completely before slicing to avoid gummy texture.
  • Freezing loaves extends shelf life; reheat to refresh crust.

Find it online: https://cheftinaskitchen.com/the-best-ciabatta-bread-recipe/