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Cut open ciabatta roll.
5 from 1 vote

Ciabatta Bread Roll

These homemade ciabatta rolls are crusty on the outside, soft and airy on the inside, and perfect for sandwiches. Whether you’re using a stand mixer or mixing by hand with stretch and folds, this beginner-friendly recipe delivers bakery-style results at home.
Print Recipe
Prep Time:14 hours
Cook Time:18 minutes
Cooling Time:1 hour
Total Time:15 hours 18 minutes

Equipment

  • Stand Mixer Optional
  • Bench Scraper
  • Rolling Pin
  • Cooling Rack

Ingredients

Biga

  • ½ teaspoon active dry yeast
  • ¾ cup water 100-110°F
  • 1 cup bread or all-purpose flour

Ciabatta Dough

  • ½ teaspoon active dry yeast
  • ¾ cup water 100-110°F
  • Yeast Starter
  • 2 cups bread or all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Biga (Yeast Starter)

  • The night before making the recipe, mix 1 cup flour, ½ teaspoon yeast, and ¾ cup water. Cover with plastic wrap and ferment overnight for 8-12 hours at room temperature.

Ciabatta Dough

  • Mix the Dough: Mix flour and salt in a stand mixer with the dough hook. Add water and yeast to the biga and mix. Then pour into the stand mixer bowl. Mix on 4 for 3 minutes, then let the dough rest for 10 minutes. Mix on 4 for 3 more minutes, cover with a damp towel.
  • Proof the Dough: Let the dough proof for its first rise for 45-60 minutes. Spin in the stand mixer to knock out air and collect the dough into a ball. This replaces needing to punch down the dough.
  • Shape the Dough: Flour your work surface. Put dough onto the work surface. Fold the bottom half of the dough up then fold the top of the dough down like a letter fold. Let rest for 15 minutes. Rotate dough so it’s long way is vertical. Do a letter fold again. Bottom to the top, top to the bottom. Let rest for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 475°
  • Shape the Dough into Rolls: Dust the top of the dough with flour. Stretch the dough gently by tugging it longer. If you need to you can use a rolling pin to roll into a 16 inch long by 4 inch wide rectangle. Cut into 4x4 inch squares with a knife or bench scraper. Move the ciabatta rolls to a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover with the damp towel and let proof for its second rise for 30 minutes
  • Bake the Ciabatta: Throw two ice cubes or spray water into the oven, put the ciabattas in, and bake for 15-18 minutes or until the internal temperature is 200°F. Cool on a wire baking rack for an hour for the crumb to set. The interior is still finishing its structure. Cutting it early makes it gummy or collapses.

Notes

I don’t like transferring the dough from the mixing bowl to another bowl. I think it’s a waste of dishes and unnecessary. I keep my dough mixer in the bowl under the stand mixer. When I need to knock out the air to shape the dough, I put the dough hook down and spin it for about 20 seconds to collect the dough. It pulls cleanly from the sides without having to scrape it out of the bowl. 
When shaping the dough, do it gently and quickly. We don’t want to knock too much air out. 
Add ice cubes to the bottom of your oven or in a baking dish. 

Nutrition

Calories: 344kcal | Carbohydrates: 72g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 879mg | Potassium: 108mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 0.3g | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 4mg
Course: Pantry
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Ciabatta
Servings: 4 rolls
Calories: 344kcal