Soft Baked 3-Hour Ciabatta Bread

4.96 from 220 votes

Published by Rebecca Eisenberg ⁠— May 2, 2023 (updated June 3, 2026) — 379 Comments

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Ciabatta is an Italian bread known for its floury crust and airy, chewy crumb. My recipe for soft-baked ciabatta bread uses a simple coil fold, which involves periodically lifting and tucking the dough under itself while it rises to develop strength and structure. The result is a super soft homemade ciabatta bread with an open crumb, perfect for sandwiches. Ciabatta's rustic appearance also means it is surprisingly easy to shape!

eight ciabatta rolls on a sheet of parchment paper.

Clocking in at just three hours start to finish (most of it hands-off resting time), my beginner-friendly ciabatta recipe is a perfect option for a lazy weekend or evening baking project! I love baking ciabatta sandwich rolls to serve with my deli-style tuna salad or as tear-apart dinner rolls with my favorite homemade spaghetti sauce.

5 star reader review

“I LOVE this recipe!!! It's easy to follow even though I'm a super beginner at baking and it's my second weekend in a row that I've made a batch!! The bread comes out tasting better than ANYthing I've ever bought in the store and I find myself a giggling mess just thinking that "I" made bread!”
—Ida

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The SOFTEST Ciabatta bread you'll ever bake

One of my biggest complaints about store-bought ciabatta bread is that the crust is too thick and hard. It can be tough to bite into, especially with lots of sandwich fillings.

So for my homemade ciabatta bread recipe, I focused on developing a soft and fluffy texture inside and out. The crust is chewy and floury; it's undeniably ciabatta, but soft and squishy enough to bite into without issue.

This is the full-size version of my small-batch ciabatta which is made with one cup of flour. To scale the mini ciabatta up and better support the additional weight of a larger dough, I snuck in an extra set of folds and extended the bulk fermentation by 30 minutes. But don't worry, it's still a quick ciabatta bread recipe that you can make by hand, no mixer needed.

soft airy ciabatta bread cut in half on a plate. one half is topped with prosciutto, the other a drizzle of olive oil.

To give this ciabatta bread its soft, fluffy crumb my recipe uses a high-hydration, very wet dough. Since it's too wet to knead, I like to use a coil fold (more on that below) technique to build structure into the dough.

You don't need a special pan to bake ciabatta bread. Just plop it onto a parchment-lined sheet pan, cut it into pieces, and your soft and fluffy ciabatta is ready to bake.

Grocery List and Ingredient Rundown

Here are the ingredients that you'll need to make my soft and fluffy ciabatta bread! They're all very basic and easy to find in most grocery stores. See recipe card (at the end of the post) for ingredient quantities.

the ingredients for ciabatta measured out and labeled.

How I Mix My Ciabatta Dough

Making my soft-baked ciabatta takes just about 3-ish hours, start to finish. It's a very hands-off recipe with no fancy shaping; it's meant to have a rustic, imperfect shape.

If you're new to bread making, homemade ciabatta bread is a great place to start. You can do this!

mixing ciabatta dough in a square container with a dough whisk. — A dough whisk is great for mixing sticky, wet doughs.

wet and sticky ciabatta dough in the bottom of a square container. — Mix until a sticky, messy, lumpy dough forms.

I use a square container for mixing and folding my soft-baked ciabatta dough — it helps train the dough to hold a square shape so it's easier to cut later. But you can absolutely use a round mixing bowl instead.

Resting and Coil Folding (Bulk Fermentation)

After the dough has been mixed, it's time to let it rest for two hours (this is called "bulk fermentation"). During the first hour, you'll build strength and structure into the dough using a gentle technique called a coil fold.

By letting the ciabatta dough rest between these sets of coil folds, air bubbles are trapped inside the dough's gluten network, giving the ciabatta its open, airy crumb.

I know, it sounds complicated! But all you really need to know is that it's a two-hour rest total, with folds every 15 minutes for the first hour. That's four sets of folds total. During the second hour, I leave the dough to rise undisturbed.

TIP: To keep track of which set of folds you're on, put a small bowl with four candies, crackers, or snacks in it. Eat one each time you do a set of folds.

a hand holding a small bowl with four candies in it above the bucket of dough.

The first hour starts immediately after you finish mixing the dough. After mixing, the dough rests for 15 minutes, and then you do the first set of coil folds. Each "set" of folds consists of four coil folds.

On the first set of folds, the ciabatta dough will feel weak and might even tear. That's okay. Keep going. Plop it down over itself. It will continue to strengthen as you keep folding.

[coil fold] an overhead shot of two hands lifting ciabatta dough straight up from the center to do a coil fold. — Slide your fingers under opposite sides of the dough and lift straight up from the middle.

[coil fold] a side view showing two hands lifting stretchy ciabatta dough straight up from the center in a square dough bucket. — Rotate or pull your hands back slightly so that the flap of dough on the far side of the bowl releases.

It's okay if both ends of the ciabatta dough release from the bowl. The goal is to get the two flaps tucked under the dough. Pull the dough toward your body, so the flap of dough closest to you curls under itself. Let the far flap of dough settle on top of it to form a coil shape.

[coil fold] two hands lowering the stretched dough so that one side of it has tucked under the other creating a coil shape. — See the coil forming?

[coil fold] two hands pulling out of the bucket having just released the dough after finishing a set of coil folds. the dough is in the bucket with both ends tucked under itself. — Both stretched-out ends of the dough will be coiled (tucked) underneath.

Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat. Each time you pick up the dough, your fingers should be sliding under the newly tucked-under ends.

On the first coil fold in each set, the dough will be relaxed and easier to stretch. By the final fold in each set, it won't stretch it quite as much. The gluten network is getting stronger. Each time you do a set of folds the dough will feel smoother and stronger.

After the final set of coil folds, cover the bucket and let the dough rest. At this point, you want the dough to work on developing nice bubbles. At the end of the rise time it will look airier and will double in size.

ciabatta dough in a square mixing bucket with a red let. it is lumpy and fills only the bottom two inches of the bucket. — The ciabatta dough after mixing

the ciabatta dough after two hours of bulk fermentation is airy and smooth and fills about 4 inches of the bucket. — After 2 hours of bulk fermentation

How I Shape and Cut Ciabatta Dough

Always cut and shape ciabatta on a generously floured work surface.

two hands smoothing the ciabatta dough into a flat rectangle. — Gently smooth the dough into a large rectangle.

If you're going to cut your ciabatta into smaller ciabatta buns, this is the time to do it. You can also just bake the loaf whole, that's fine too.

Cut in half: Long loaves, good for slicing like sandwich bread.
Cut in quarters: Large sandwiches.
Cut in eighths: Medium sandwiches.
Cut into sixteenths: Dinner rolls.

a rectangle of ciabatta dough cut in half into two long loaves. — Cut in half for long loaves

a rectangle of ciabatta dough cut into four quarters. — Cut into quarters for large sandwich rolls

ciabatta dough cut into 8 equal square rolls. — Cut into eighths for smaller sandwich rolls

You can also cut the dough into sixteenths or even smaller to make dinner rolls. Don't separate the rolls on the pan before baking, and they'll bake up pull-apart style.

Use a sharp knife or bench scraper in an up-and-down motion to make your cuts, and leave the sticky cut edges facing open. Don't tuck them under or try to hide them. Ciabatta is a very loose bread — no fancy shaping required.

BONUS: Flipping for Floury Stripes

This is a technique I picked up in a class at King Arthur Baking HQ in Vermont. And while it's technically optional, it gives the ciabatta such a pretty pattern on top.

While the cut loaves are resting, the dough expands, and the flour on the countertop trapped underneath the ciabatta gets trapped in the wrinkled creases, creating a unique striped pattern.

To reveal those beautiful tiger stripes and give your soft-baked ciabatta buns their own unique fingerprints, flip each loaf over as you transfer it onto the sheet pan, immediately before baking.

flipping a loaf of ciabatta onto a parchment lined sheet pan.

Slide a metal bench scraper under the ciabatta in one quick motion.

eight ciabatta rolls on a parchment lined sheet pan. They are very close together.

Use the bench scraper or floured hands to nudge the flipped rolls apart.

eight light golden brown ciabatta rolls on a sheet pan. — Ciabatta has a mind of its own. You can gently stretch or shape it how you want, but ultimately it's going to be a bit unpredictable. That's the beauty of it!

Right out of the oven, the ciabatta loaves will feel hard to the touch. That's okay, they will soften as they cool.

5 star reader review

“This is an amazing bread. I made it twice so far. The first time was 8 little ones for smoked meats sandwiches and again this morning but I made 2 loaves. I taught my 10 year old son to make it and he was amazed at how good it was for so little effort. Thank you for sharing this.”
—Scott

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soft ciabatta bread with a slice off the end on a cooling rack.

a hand dipping a torn piece of soft ciabatta bread in an olive oil dipping sauce.

💭 Have More Baking Questions?

I've rounded up answers to common baking questions and how-to guides, including:

Ingredient swaps and FAQs
Why my recipes are written in grams and not cups
How to quickly bring eggs and butter to room temperature
Ingredients I use (salt, flour, yeast, etc.)
Step-by-step guides for bread and baking techniques

See my baking techniques & troubleshooting guide and ingredient swaps and FAQs for more!

📖 Recipe

3-Hour Soft-Baked Ciabatta Bread

Servings rolls

Author Rebecca Eisenberg

This soft-baked ciabatta bread has a beautiful open crumb and an airy, tender texture. Clocking in at just three hours start to finish (most of it hands-off resting time), this easy ciabatta recipe is a perfect option for a lazy weekend or evening baking project!

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 17

Resting Time (Total) 2 30

Total Time 2 57

Recipe Notes

Overnight rise: Cover the dough and place in the fridge after the final set of coil folds and let it finish bulk fermentation there.
Be gentle: The folding process is as much about incorporating air as it is about building strength into the dough. Once the dough has finished bulk fermentation, handle it as gently as possible to preserve as much of the air inside the dough as you can. Use "fingertip light" pressure to stretch and shape it.
Coil fold troubleshooting: If you find it easier to do stretch and folds, do those instead. It doesn't matter that you do the coil folds perfectly. It matters that the gluten network in the dough is getting folded at all. Do your best with the coil folds, but if there's a different folding method or technique that works better for you — use it!
Dust off excess flour before baking: Some people like a super floury ciabatta, while others prefer less flour on the outside. Whatever flour is on top of your ciabatta loaf when it goes into the oven is going to be there when it comes out. For a less floury ciabatta, use a pastry brush or your fingers to dust it off.
How to store: Baked ciabatta can be stored at room temperature for 4-5 days in an airtight container or plastic bag at room temperature with a paper towel to absorb moisture. It will begin to lose its super soft and squishy texture after about 2 days, but can be revived by toasting or popping it in a 350°F oven for a few minutes.
How to freeze: Ciabatta freezes beautifully. I usually just toss the loaves in a plastic bag and freeze them, but if you want to do it "right" and avoid freezer burn, wrap each individual loaf in foil or plastic wrap before putting them in a bag in the freezer. To reheat soft-baked ciabatta from frozen, unwrap the bread and place the whole loaf in a 350°F oven for 5-10 minutes.
On a baking steel/stone: To bake on a baking steel, preheat the oven for 1 hour at 450°F. Launch the ciabatta loaves onto the steel using a pizza peel with or without parchment paper and bake for 15-17 minutes.

Ingredients

500 grams all purpose flour (plus ~20 grams more for dusting)
15 grams diamond crystal kosher salt
6 grams instant yeast (2 teaspoons)
425 grams warm water (90°F)
30 grams extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

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Mix. In a large mixing bowl (or a square dough container), whisk together the flour, salt, and yeast. Make a well in the center and add the warm water and olive oil. Use a dough whisk, fork, or small spatula to stir the liquid in the center, slowly incorporating flour from the sides of the bowl until it comes together in a messy ball with no dry patches of flour hiding inside.

Troubleshooting dry/wet dough: If your dough seems too dry, use wet hands instead of damp hands to incorporate more water while you're mixing or folding the dough until it looks like it does in my photos. This should definitely not feel like a dry dough. If the dough seems too wet, keep going with the recipe. Many of my recipe testers told me they thought their dough was too wet when it was actually just right. If your dough is SO wet that it is still tearing and not stretching during the second set of folds, then dust in a small amount of flour.

Bulk Fermentation. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 1 hour, performing a set of coil folds every 15 minutes. After the final set of folds, cover the bowl and let the dough rest for an additional 1 hour.

One set of coil folds consists of four coil folds. To perform one coil fold, slide damp hands under opposite sides of the dough and lift straight up from the center, allowing the two ends to fold under the center of the dough. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat.

Preheat. Preheat the oven to 450°F with a rack in the center position. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set it aside.
Stretch. Dust your counter well with flour, then dust the top of the dough with flour too. Flip the bowl upside down over the floured countertop and let gravity pull the dough down. Gently lift the bowl off the dough, using your fingers or a bowl scraper to help any stuck pieces of dough release cleanly.
Cut. Dust the sticky top side of the dough lightly with flour. Cut the dough into two, four, eight, or 16 rolls. Cut in an up and down motion so the dough doesn't stick to your blade. Dust the newly cut sides with additional flour as needed to prevent sticking. Be patient, and don't worry about them being perfect. Cover the dough with a clean dish towel and let it rest for about 30 minutes.

If you're baking one large ciabatta loaf or 16 pull apart dinner rolls, do this step directly onto the parchment lined baking sheet and skip flipping them later.

Flip (Optional!). Dust any excess flour off the top of the dough, then slide a bench scraper under the ciabatta loaves in one quick movement. Lift and gently flip them over onto the sheet pan so the underside is now facing up. If you don't have a bench scraper, use your hands to flip it.
Bake. Bake until puffed up, light golden brown around the edges, and the internal temperature reaches 195°F, 17-19 minutes.

If baking 16 individual dinner rolls reduce bake time by 2-3 minutes.

Baking one large loaf or 16 pull-apart rolls may require an additional 2-3 minutes of bake time.

For crustier ciabatta, bake for 20-22 minutes.

Cool. Let cool completely before slicing. Even soft-baked ciabatta will seem very hard and crusty when it first comes out of the oven, but will become soft and fluffy as it cools. Transfer to a wire rack to cool faster.

Video

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Comments

4.96 from 220 votes (11 ratings without comment)

5 star reader review

The SOFTEST Ciabatta bread you'll ever bake

Grocery List and Ingredient Rundown

How I Mix My Ciabatta Dough

Resting and Coil Folding (Bulk Fermentation)

How I Shape and Cut Ciabatta Dough

BONUS: Flipping for Floury Stripes

5 star reader review

💭 Have More Baking Questions?

📖 Recipe

3-Hour Soft-Baked Ciabatta Bread

Recipe Notes

Ingredients 1x2x3x

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Ingredients

Instructions

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