Ciabatta Bread

Airy, open-crumbed ciabatta with a crispy, tree bark-like crust, no kneading required.

Note: I have adjusted the recipe according to my tastes and equipment.

In any baking recipe. including this one, I suggest you measure by weight and not by volume. You’ll get more consistent results.

Details

Prep time: 20 minutes (active), plus 4 × 30-minute rest intervals
Rise time: Overnight cold ferment + 20 minutes final proof
Bake time: 15-20 minutes per batch
Yield: 4 small/medium loaves

Equipment

Large bowl (square if possible, e.g. 9×9 inch)
Fine mesh strainer (for dusting flour evenly)
Bench/dough scraper
2 clean dish towels
Pizza stone or large baking tray
Parchment paper
Handful of ice cubes (for steam)

Ingredients

450g (3¼ cups) strong bread flour, ~13% protein, plus plenty extra for dusting
400g (1⅔ cups) lukewarm water (80-100°F / 27-37°C)
9g (1½ tsp) salt
7g (2 tsp) dry yeast

Instructions

1. Mix the Dough

In a large bowl, combine the lukewarm water, salt, and yeast. Add the flour and mix well with a fork until a very wet, shaggy dough forms. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.

2. Stretch and Fold (4 rounds)

With wet hands, perform a round of stretch-and-folds: grab one side of the dough, stretch it up and fold it across to the opposite side. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat 3 more times (4 folds per round). Cover and rest 30 minutes. Repeat this process 3 more times (4 rounds total, 2 hours total).

3. Cold Ferment (Overnight)

After the final fold, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (or up to 48 hours).

4. Prepare for Shaping

The next day, generously dust a large area of your countertop with flour, using a fine mesh strainer to ensure full, even coverage, no gaps. Also dust 4 patches of flour on your two dish towels (2 patches per towel, one per loaf).

5. Shape the Loaves

Tip the cold dough out of the bowl. Let gravity do the work, don’t tear it. With wet hands and a light touch, shape it roughly into a square, then fold it in half into a rectangle. Tuck in the edges. Using a bench scraper, cut into 4 equal portions.

6. Final Proof

Using your fingers like flat paddles, pick up each portion and transfer it to a floured patch on a dish towel. Gently coax into a rough rectangle. Fold the clean half of the towel over to cover. Rest for 20 minutes.

7. Preheat the Oven

While the loaves proof, place a pizza stone (or baking tray) in the oven and preheat to 230°C / 450°F with convection fan on if available.

8. Transfer to Parchment

This is the trickiest step. The bottom of the dough on the towel will become the top of the loaf, so you need to flip each piece. Use a bench scraper to help flip the dough upside down onto parchment paper. Two loaves per sheet.

9. Bake

Slide one sheet of parchment (2 loaves) onto the hot pizza stone. Quickly throw a handful of ice cubes onto the oven floor and close the door. The steam helps the loaves rise before the crust sets. Bake 15-20 minutes until deep golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before cutting. Repeat for the second batch.

Tips

The overnight fermentation is essential. It builds flavor and makes the dough much easier to handle.
Sift your flour. The dough is extremely wet, any gaps in the flour and it will stick.
Handle gently throughout shaping (not stretch-and-fold.) Every bubble counts. Rough handling in the final shaping stages deflates the open crumb you’re working toward.
Judge by color, not time. Every oven is different. Deep golden brown is your cue, not the clock.
Flour type matters. A strong bread flour (~13% protein) gives the best results. All-purpose will work but produces a denser crumb.

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