Ciabatta bread is an Italian bread known for its floury crust and airy, chewy crumb. This soft-baked ciabatta bread uses a simple coil folding technique, which involves gently lifting and tucking the dough under itself to develop gluten.
The result is a super soft and squishy homemade ciabatta bread with a beautiful open crumb and a soft, tender texture. With a rustic appearance, ciabatta bread is surprisingly easy to make and requires only a handful of ingredients.
Clocking in at just three hours start to finish (most of it hands-off resting time), this ciabatta recipe is a perfect option for a lazy weekend or evening baking project!
For a personal sized homemade ciabatta, check out my small batch mini ciabatta which uses just one cup of flour, and if you're a garlic lover be sure to check out my crusty roasted garlic ciabatta bread. I've also got a great recipe for twisted ciabatta breadsticks which use a lower hydration version of this recipe as a base!
This soft and fluffy ciabatta bread is perfect for tearing into chunks and dunking in my best olive oil bread dip, making cheesy ciabatta garlic bread, used for buns when making juicy turkey burgers, assembling deli style tuna salad or smashed egg salad sandwiches, or toasting up one of my classic ciabatta cheesesteak sandwiches!
Jump to:
- About This Ciabatta Recipe
- What is Ciabatta?
- Ingredient Notes
- Instructions: Mixing Ciabatta Dough
- Resting and Coil Folding (Bulk Fermentation)
- Shaping and Cutting Ciabatta Dough
- BONUS: Flipping for Floury Stripes
- Baking Soft Ciabatta
- Suggested Equipment
- A Note on Temperature and Dough Rising
- Substituting Active Dry Yeast for Instant Yeast
- Storage & Freezing
- Practical Tips and Recipe Notes
- Recipe FAQ - Overnight rise, troubleshooting folding, sourdough, etc?
- TL;DR — Recipe Summary
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
About This Ciabatta Recipe
This soft-baked ciabatta bread got its start as my small batch ciabatta which uses just 1 cup (120g) of flour.
To scale it up to full size 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.
One of the complaints I hear most often about store bought ciabatta bread is that the crust is too thick and hard. It can be hard on the gums and tough to bite into, especially with lots of sandwich fillings in it.
So for this homemade ciabatta bread recipe I really focused on developing a ciabatta with a soft and fluffy texture inside and outside. The crust is chewy and floury, undeniably ciabatta-y, but still soft and squishy enough to bite into without fear.
To develop gluten and give this ciabatta bread its soft, fluffy crumb with we're using a high hydration, very wet dough. To build strength into the dough without tightening it up too much, this ciabatta bread recipe uses a gentle technique called a coil fold.
Because ciabatta is a very free-form bread, you don't need a special pan to bake it. Just plop it onto a parchment lined sheet pan, cut it into pieces, and this soft and fluffy ciabatta is ready to bake.
What is Ciabatta?
With its rustic shape, open crumb, and chewy, flour-dusted crust ciabatta has all the markings of an artisanal bread borne of ancient tradition stretching back centuries.
But ciabatta was actually invented in the 1980s by Arnaldo Cavallari, an Italian baker. Inspired by the long, flat, airy shape, he named his new bread ciabatta after the Italian word for slipper.
The goal was to create a bread export that could compete with the popularity of the French baguette. By all counts, it was a huge success.
"Marks & Spencer brought the loaves to the United Kingdom in 1985 during a Mediterranean-eating craze, and Orlando Baking Company claims to be the first U.S. bakery to produce the loaves, starting in 1987."
Eater.com, "Your Favorite 'Old-World' Bread Was Invented in the '80s"
Ciabatta is a high hydration bread made using flour, salt, yeast, water, and sometimes olive oil. Typically it is made using a high protein bread flour and a pre-ferment like a poolish or a biga and requires long, slow rise times to build that airy texture.
That's not the case in the soft-baked ciabatta recipe you'll find here, which uses all purpose flour, a higher quantity of yeast, and shorter rest periods between folds to develop the dough in a shorter amount of time.
Ingredient Notes
Here are the ingredients that you'll need to make this soft and fluffy ciabatta bread! See recipe card (at the end of the post) for ingredient quantities.
- Flour - Regular all purpose flour! I use King Arthur Baking Company's all purpose flour which has a slightly higher protein content (closer to a bread flour, which gives you a chewier, more elastic bread) than other brands of all-purpose flour, so if you're using a different brand of flour you may have better results with their bread flour.
- Yeast - This recipe uses instant yeast (sometimes called "rapid rise" or "bread machine" yeast). If using active dry yeast, increase the amount of yeast by 25%.
- Salt - I use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt which is half as salty as other brands and has larger crystals that dissolve easily. If measuring by weight (as you should be!), you can use any brand of salt (table salt or fine sea salt will be just fine). But if you're measuring by volume (teaspoons) and using a different brand of salt, even a different brand of kosher salt, cut the amount of salt in half.
- Water - The water should be warm to the touch but not hot. If you have an instant read thermometer, you're aiming for somewhere around 85°F.
- Olive Oil - I like using a robustly flavored extra virgin olive oil here to bring that flavor to the dough. The olive oil also helps make the dough super soft and stretchy.
Instructions: Mixing Ciabatta Dough
Making this 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 is meant to have a rustic, imperfect shape.
There's four 15 minute resting periods, one 1 hour resting period, and one 30 minute resting period, so the amount of active work time is minimal.
If you're new to bread making, homemade ciabatta bead is a great place to start. You can do this!
Whisk the flour, salt, and instant yeast together in a medium mixing bowl. Add the warm water and olive oil.
Use a dough whisk to mix them together until a sticky, messy dough forms.
A dough whisk is great for mixing sticky, wet doughs. And this is a VERY STICKY, VERY WET dough. If you don't have a dough whisk, a wooden spoon, a spatula, or even your hands will work just fine.
I like to use a square Cambro container for mixing and folding this soft-baked ciabatta dough — it helps train the dough to hold a square shape which makes it easier to cut later on. You can absolutely use a large mixing bowl instead.
Scrape any excess flour or dough off the sides of the bowl, and use lightly damp hands to gather the sticky dough into a messy ball at the bottom of the bowl.
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're going to periodically build strength and structure into the dough using a technique called folding.
Specifically, you're going to use a gentle technique called a "coil fold."
By letting the ciabatta dough rest between these sets of coil folds, air bubbles and gas (produced by the yeast) are trapped inside the dough's gluten network, which gives the ciabatta its open, soft, and airy crumb.
I know, it sounds complicated! But all you really need to know is it's a two hour rest, with folds every 15 minutes just for the first hour. That's four sets of folds total. The second hour is just the dough resting 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.
The first hour starts immediately after mixing the dough. The dough will rest for 15 minutes, and then you'll do the first set of coil folds. Each "set" of folds consists of four coil folds.
To do a single coil fold, use damp hands to slide your fingers under opposite sides of the dough so your fingertips meet (or come close to it). Lift the dough straight up from the middle.
This stretches the dough out so you can tuck the two ends underneath. On the first set of folds the ciabatta dough will feel very weak and might even tear. That's okay. Just 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.](https://thepracticalkitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/fluffy-fast-ciabatta-bread-234.jpg)
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.](https://thepracticalkitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/fluffy-fast-ciabatta-bread-247.jpg)
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 dough release from the bowl too. The goal here is basically to get the two flaps tucked under the dough.
![[coil fold] two hands lowering the stretched dough so that one side of it has tucked under the other creating a coil shape.](https://thepracticalkitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/fluffy-fast-ciabatta-bread-294.jpg)
Pull the dough toward your body slightly, 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. 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.](https://thepracticalkitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/fluffy-fast-ciabatta-bread-304.jpg)
Gently release the dough back into the bucket. Both stretched out ends of the dough will be coiled (tucked) underneath.
Rotate the bowl 90° (a quarter turn) and repeat the coil fold again. Each time you pick up the dough, you want your fingers to be 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 for 1 hour. At this point we want the dough to develop those gorgeous air bubbles ciabatta is known for. The dough will look airier, and will have doubled in size.
Here's what the ciabatta dough looks like when first mix it and then after the two hours of bulk fermentation with coil folds for the first hour.
This is the end of the bulk fermentation period.
If you'd prefer to bake your ciabatta in the morning or the next day, pop it in the fridge after the final set of coil folds and let it finish bulk fermentation there.
Shaping and Cutting Ciabatta Dough
Before you begin cutting your ciabatta dough, preheat the oven. This will it will be ready when the dough is.
Dust the top of the ciabatta dough in the bowl with flour. Then tip the dough out of the bowl and onto a floured surface so that the sticky, un-floured side is facing up. Dust the sticky top side lightly with flour too.
Use flat hands to gently smooth the ciabatta into a large rectangle about 10x15 inches in size and 1.5 inches thick.
Gently lift and stretch the edges and corners if you need to, but don't try to force the dough, you don't want to deflate it. Just gently smooth and stretch it into a loose 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.
Use a sharp knife or bench scraper in a clean 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.
Then cover the ciabatta dough with a clean towel and let it rest for 30 minutes. This is one last chance for it to develop more air bubbles inside.
You can actually cut the ciabatta right on your parchment lined baking sheet if you prefer (or if you're baking larger loaves). Leave the cut edges touching slightly to create pull-apart ciabatta rolls.
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.
As the dough rests, it expands, and the flour on the countertop underneath the dough 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, immediately before baking, flip each loaf over as you transfer it onto the sheet pan.
Slide a metal bench scraper under the ciabatta in one quick motion. This will help and unstick any parts of the dough that may have stuck to the counter and make it easier to lift.
The dough will stretch out slightly as you lift and flip it. Use the flat edge of the bench scraper or floured hands to nudge the dough into shape so the rolls aren't on top of each other.
Don't have a bench scraper? Use your hands to gently lift and flip the ciabatta. It'll be fine.
This flipping technique works best with ciabatta divided into quarters or eighths. If you're baking one large loaf, two long loaves, or sixteen dinner rolls, I recommend cutting those directly on the parchment lined sheet pan and skipping this flipping step.
Ciabatta is a very freeform loaf — you can try to gently stretch or shape how you want it, but ultimately it's going to be a bit unpredictable. That's the beauty of it!
Baking Soft Ciabatta
For a soft-baked ciabatta bread, bake for 17-19 minutes at 450°F. For a crustier ciabatta bread, bake for 20-22 minutes.
- If you're baking one large loaf or pull-apart style loaves you may need to add 1-2 minutes to the bake time.
- If you're baking smaller loaves like sixteen individual dinner rolls, reduce the bake time by 2 minutes.
You're looking for an internal temperature of 200°F for doneness.
When the ciabatta is done it will have a light golden brown crust peeking out around the edges under the flour.
Right out of the oven, the ciabatta loaves will feel hard to the touch. That's okay, they will soften as they cool.
Let the ciabatta cool before slicing. You can let it cool on the sheet pan or transfer it to a cooling rack, either is fine.
If you cut it while it's still hot, the steam and moisture trapped inside will turn the starches to mush. No one wants that!
Suggested Equipment
You really don't need a lot of fancy equipment to make a mini ciabatta, but here's a few that might make the process easier for you!
- Kitchen Scale - The most accurate way to measure ingredients for baking! For best results with this recipe, you'll need to use a kitchen scale.
- Dough Whisk - A sturdy, mostly open wire coil that is designed to make mixing sticky wet doughs easy. The coil cuts through the dough easily, breaking up any sneaky lumps of flour hiding inside.
- Bench Scraper - A flat metal bench scraper with a thin edge is great for cutting your mini ciabatta dough into smaller portions AND for sliding under the dough to lift and flip it before it goes into the oven. Again, you don't need to use one, but it can be helpful!
- Flour Duster - Ciabatta is a very floury bread, but too much flour can be unpleasant! A flour duster helps you get a nice, even dusting of flour on your mini ciabatta without overdoing it.
- Instant Read Thermometer - To check the temperature of your water and check the dough for doneness.
A Note on Temperature and Dough Rising
Temperature is the main factor in determining how quickly or slowly your dough rises. This includes the temperature of ingredients in your dough, as well as the temperature of the room where your dough is rising.
In baking, "room temperature" is generally somewhere around 70°-75°F.
Depending on how cool or warm your water is, and how cool or warm your kitchen is, your dough may rise faster or slower.
- Warmer temperatures increase yeast activity. (But temperatures over 110°F can kill it!)
- Cooler temperatures slow yeast activity. (For a long, slow proof, put the dough in the fridge overnight after the final set of folds.)
If your dough is rising slowly and your kitchen is cold, find somewhere warmer to put your dough during the resting periods. If your kitchen is very warm, your dough might be a lot more active and ready to bake sooner than the times given in the recipe.
Just because the dough isn't "ready" right at the times given in the recipe doesn't mean it's not working — there might be other factors affecting how quickly or slowly it gets there! You may need to make adjustments.
Substituting Active Dry Yeast for Instant Yeast
Active Dry and Instant yeast are technically the same thing — meaning, they are both saccharomyces cerevisiae, a single-celled living organism used for leavening bread and doughs.
The only difference between the two types of yeast is that Active Dry yeast granules have a little coating around them which needs to dissolve to reveal the yeast inside.
Because of this extra little shell around the Active Dry yeast granules, you'll need to use slightly more Active Dry yeast to get the same effect as using Instant.
To calculate how much Active Dry yeast to use, increase the amount of Instant yeast by 25%. For this recipe I recommend rounding down, meaning you'd be using 7 grams (1 packet) of active dry yeast.
Instead of adding the active dry yeast to the dry ingredients, sprinkle it over the water and give it a quick stir before adding the oil and mixing the dough.
Storage & Freezing
Ciabatta is best eaten within 24 hours of baking. That's when its soft and fluffy texture will be at its peak.
Store ciabatta at room temperature 4-5 days in an airtight container or plastic bag at room temperature with a paper towel in it to absorb moisture.
It will begin to lose its super soft and squishy texture after about 2 days, but can be revived by toasting it lightly or popping it in a 350°F oven for a few minutes.
Once you cut your ciabatta open and expose the inside to air, it will go stale faster, even in a plastic bag. As always, do not refrigerate bread.
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 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 about 10-15 minutes.
Practical Tips and Recipe Notes
- An overnight rise: If you want to bake this ciabatta the next day or give it a long rise time, you can pop the dough in the fridge immediately after finishing the coil folds.
- Be gentle with ciabatta dough. The folding process is as much about incorporating air as it is about building strength into the dough. You don't want to knock all the air out of it. Once it's in its final rest, you want to handle it as little as possible to preserve as much of the air inside the dough as possible. This doesn't mean you can't gently stretch it into a long rectangle shape or cut it into rolls — just use very gentle pressure! Think "fingertip light" pressure. Tug on it gently, don't squish or pinch.
- A note on oven temperature: Most ovens do not run true to temperature! Use an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is accurate! In my past three apartments my ovens were off from anywhere to 50 to 20 degrees and all of them would tell me they were at the right temperature 15 minutes before they actually were. Baking at the right temperature is crucial for getting soft-baked ciabatta.
- Dust off excess flour before baking: Some people like a super floury ciabatta, 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 If you prefer a less floury ciabatta, dust it off.
- Baking at high altitude: You will likely need to increase the water anywhere from 15-60 grams, depending on how high above sea level you are. You may also find that a higher protein bread flour works better for you!
Recipe FAQ - Overnight rise, troubleshooting folding, sourdough, etc?
First of all, take a deep breath. It will be okay. If you find it easier to just do stretch and folds, do 4-6 of those per "set" of folds instead. It doesn't matter that you do the folds perfectly. It matters that the gluten network in the dough is getting folded at all. If there's a different folding method or technique that works better for you — use it!
I usually stretch a plastic bowl cover over the top of the bowl or use the lid if I'm mixing in a container with a lid. You can also lay a clean dish towel over the mouth of the bowl. Avoid having anything in direct contact with the dough. Once you get to the final 30-minute bench rest, the clean dish towel can go directly on top of the floury 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, my first piece of advice is to just keep going with the recipe. This is a wet dough and 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 you can dust in a tiny amount of flour. But really try to avoid dusting in more flour during the mixing or folding stages.
Yes! After the final set of folds, instead of a 1 hour rest at room temperature, cover the bowl and place it in the fridge overnight. In the morning, flour the top of the dough, tip it onto a floured countertop, and proceed with the recipe as written from there.
You can, but you'll still need to use commercial yeast to help with the speed of the recipe. Use 100 grams 100% hydration sourdough discard or fed starter, reduce the amount of water to 375 grams, and reduce the amount of flour to 450 grams. Everything else remains the same!
TL;DR — Recipe Summary
- Stir dry ingredients, add wet ingredients, and mix to form a sticky dough.
- Cover and rest for 1 hour with coil folds every 15 minutes.
- Cover and rest for 1 hour undisturbed.
- Turn the dough out, dust the top with flour, stretch and cut into loaves or rolls.
- Cover with a towel and rest 30 minutes.
- OPTIONAL: Flip loaves over onto parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 17-19 minutes at 450°F until light golden brown around the sides and 200°F internal temp is reached.
📖 Recipe
Soft-Baked Ciabatta Bread
Ingredients
- 500 grams all purpose flour (plus ~20 grams more for dusting)
- 15 grams diamond crystal kosher salt (5 teaspoons / use half as much of any other brand if measuring by volume)
- 6 grams instant yeast (2 teaspoons)
- 425 grams warm water (80°F)
- 30 grams extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Mix. In a large bowl (or a square dough container if you have one), whisk together flour, salt, and instant yeast. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients; pour the warm water and olive oil into it. Mix the dough until it comes together in a messy ball with no dry patches of flour hiding inside. Scrape down the walls of the bowl, gathering the dough into a loose ball in the bottom of the bowl.
- 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 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 the oven to 450°F. 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. NOTE: 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.
- Cut. Dust the sticky top side of the dough lightly with flour. Cut the dough into two, four, eight, or 16 rolls. Cut in 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. This is a very soft, sticky dough — be patient, and don't worry about them being perfect. Cover with a clean dish towel and let the dough rest for about 30 minutes.
- 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. For a less floury ciabatta, gently dust any excess flour off the top. If you don't have a bench scraper, use your hands to flip it, it'll be fine.
- Bake for 17-19 minutes until puffed up and light golden brown around the edges. If you want to be precise, you're looking for an internal temperature of at least 200°F. 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. Let cool before slicing!
RECIPE NOTES
- For crustier ciabatta , bake for 20-22 minutes.
- If you prefer using the stretch-and-fold method instead of coil folding, do 4-6 stretch-and-folds per set of folds.
- Baking one large loaf or 16 pull apart rolls may require an additional 2-3 minutes of bake time.
- If baking 16 individual dinner rolls reduce bake time by 2-3 minutes.
- To bake on a baking steel preheat the oven for 1 hour at 450F. Launch the loaves onto the steel using a pizza peel with or without parchment paper and bake for 15-17 minutes.
- Resist adding flour to the dough during the folding stages. This is a wet, sticky dough by design — use damp or lightly oiled hands to keep it from sticking to you instead.
Caitlin
Made this recipe yesterday to have rolls for the next couple days for sandwiches, but they are mostly all gone. The instructions on how to do the coil folds was very easy to understand and I felt very confident with the process. I will definitely be making this recipe again but will probably double the batch. So good!
Caitlin
Sorry forgot my stars.
Lisa Clay
My whole family loved these soft, pillowy ciabatta rolls. Great with a pasta dish for dinner and then make sandwiches with the leftover ... if there are any!! Delicious and so easy!
Bex
Made this with my mum today. It’s a super wet dough, but it gets better with each fold. We opted for pull apart rolls and they look great. Excellent recipe! Thank you
Rebecca Eisenberg
Yessss, super wet but it's so fun when you get to that last set of folds and realize how strong you've made it! So glad you enjoyed the rolls. 🙂
Kshitija Wani
Can I bake them directly on the baking sheet? I hardly ever bake and don't have parchment paper.
Rebecca Eisenberg
I haven't tested it. I don't see why it wouldn't work, the only concern I would have is with letting the dough rest on the sheet pan for a while before baking. So if you're doing the rolls where you let them rest on the counter and then put them on the sheet pan right before baking that should be just fine. But you may find they stick a bit if you try to to the pull apart rolls or one big loaf where you let it rest on the sheet pan for 30 minutes before baking. If you do want to do the bigger loaf or pull apart loaves I would just make sure you have plenty of flour dusted down on the sheet pan before you put the dough down — this will help reduce any sticking! Again, I haven't tested without parchment paper so this is just my best guess of what would happen — if you do give it a try, please let me know how it turns out!
Ida
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!
I've been using the garlic oil I have from the internet famous garlic confit and it doesn't make the bread taste too much like garlic but makes the house smell heavenly when i toast the bread for sandwiches!
Thank you for this recipe and your blog! I'll probably be tagging a lot recipes to come!
Theresa
I made this recipe with about 2/3 bread flour and 1/3 AP and made 16 pull apart rolls, and they came out great! The instructions were clear and easy to follow and watching the dough progress through all the coil folds was very satisfying. Will definitely be making these again, maybe sandwich size next time!
Scott
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.
Mikayla
I made this recipe 2 days ago it’s already gone! It’s the best bread I have ever had no joke! Super easy recipe to follow as well! I eat it as avocado toast, sandwiches, garlic bread and just butter and bread. It’s so good that I’m making it again right now because I wanted more haha!
Rebecca Eisenberg
Yum!!!! There really are so many great ways to eat this bread!
Nicole
I have a question- can I use bread flour? I also have no parchment paper so just extra flour beneath?
Thank you!
Rebecca Eisenberg
Bread flour will ~work~ but (depending on the specific protein content, which varies by brand) it absorbs water differently than all purpose so you may find the dough a little wetter to work with! I would hold back a little water to start if you’re going to use that. As I wrote in the ingredient notes, I use King Arthur’s AP flour which has a protein content closer to other brands’ bread flour. So if you’re using a different brand bread flour should work okay, but if you’re using King Arthur’s bread flour, definitely hold back a bit of water when you mix the dough. You can always incorporate more water during the folds if you need to!
And yes just a bit of extra flour down on the sheet pan if you don’t have parchment paper. You may need to tap the excess flour off after baking!
Lu B.
This is a new go-to in my house. It is a really easy, successful recipe and I love the crumb and the taste. I bake it regularly and the rolls I make freeze easily. It's nice to have them on hand and 'at the ready'!
Angelika
I made these a couple of times now. Astounding how the dough goes from wet sticky to beautifully smooth with the coils. They taste amazing! Absolutely love them!!!❣
jane
Third time making these are so easy and yummy! Question do they freeze good , how would that work ? thank you !!!
Rebecca Eisenberg
So glad you're loving them! I answered the question about freezing in the blog post! Refer to the section "Storage & Freezing" for a detailed answer!
Sarah Hibbing
Absolutely fantastic. I've baked a ridiculous amount the last several years and enjoyed exploring different kinds of bread, but the level of very helpful detail here allowed me to produce a picture perfect, probably repeatable, result! Thank you so much!
Rebecca Eisenberg
The highest praise I could ask for!! I’m so glad you had success and I’m delighted you enjoyed the bread!
Belle
Currently in the process of making it, and only now realized I shouldn’t have used the fine salt.. hoping it won’t be too salty…. I didn’t even realize and I did put 15 grams (maybe a little less) so i’m hoping for the best
Trixy
Super easy recipe. Results so good!
Susan
Fantastic!
Plus? I understood the Candy Bowl…😎
Swapna
I'm about to try this recipe as I also prefer the softer breads - can I ask... what is with the candy or sweets?? 🙂
Rebecca Eisenberg
It’s explained in the blog post! A way to keep track of what set of folds you’re on.
Roxie Smith
I just made these for Father's Day steak sandwiches, and they are perfection! Super soft and chewy. Recipe was easy to follow. Thanks so much for this one!
RoxC
I made this soft ciabatta bread today. It was a bit too salty for me, next time I will cut the amount of salt in half. Other than that, it was very easy to make, the texture of the ciabatta was excellent and I got the crust by putting hot water in a metal bowl in the oven. I had to cook the 6 rolls for 22 minutes though. I will make it again. I think that this dough would also make a beautiful Neapolitan style pizza. Thanks for the great tutorial.
Rebecca Eisenberg
I'm glad you liked it! I would caution against reducing the salt by half — maybe start with reducing by 25%. Salt doesn't just provide flavor (e.g. the "saltiness") it also helps control the way the dough rises and gluten develops — you may need to extend the bulk fermentation time or add more sets of folds to get the same strength and softness in the dough!
Swapna
Ah thanks! Haha yes I figured it must be a timing thing. I tried them last night but mine were very flat.. I think I had not used enough yeast though. I'll keep trying.. also do you think the size of the container used would affect the rise? Mine was flat but wider than yours. Thanks!
Rebecca Eisenberg
Yes the container makes a difference! It provides support as the dough rises — a container with a smaller footprint will support the dough upward while a larger and wider container will allow the dough to expand outward and become flatter as it rises. I would try a smaller container!
Amy
This bread makes the best sandwiches. The folds make it nice and airy. The crust holds everything together. It has just enough salt and sourness to add flavor to a sandwich. It ups the game with even the simplest ingredients inside.
Joanna
Really great recipe! I’ve made bread before, but this recipe is easy enough to follow for a first-time bread maker. TBH I’ve struggled making ciabatta before, but this recipe turned out great. I did split the flour half bread flour/half all purpose. Highly recommend!
Felipe
Used dry active yeast instead, respecting the quantity described in the text.
I am in the second fold, and can still see a lot of yeast granules in the dough. Hope it will dissolve. I would recommend dissolving it before, and not add active dry yeast in the flour directly.
Don’t know if it will rise well 🙁
Rebecca Eisenberg
The yeast will dissolve in the dough, have faith! I’ve made all types of bread with both types of yeast. It is a bit weird you’re still seeing the granules, but they should dissolve as the dough rests and you move through the folds! Good luck.
Lee
should we bloom the yeast then (if using active dry yeast) rather than adding it directly?
Rebecca Eisenberg
Good question! I wrote in the section about how to substitute in active dry yeast: "Instead of adding the active dry yeast to the dry ingredients, sprinkle it over the water and give it a quick stir before adding the oil and mixing the dough."
That said, you can just add it directly to the dry ingredients and follow the recipe as written, with active dry yeast sometimes it just takes the dough a bit longer to rise because that little shell around the yeast granules needs to dissolve before it can start working.
Both approaches will work!
Molly
Amazing !!!! Super easy to follow and I love the explanations so you don’t have to go looking for what a coil fold is before you can even start. Such a great recipe !!
Linda
I’m new to bread making and I love this recipe. Made 8 rolls and friends thought I bought them at a bakery. This will be my 2nd time making it and I expect nothing less than spectacular results.
Hannah
I actually didn’t know I was a ciabatta fan before trying this recipe. Turns out I’d just never had it fresh! This recipe is now one of my favorites to make. I love how the dough sets up between folds and how satisfying the final soft, bubbly dough is.
The batch size is perfect for a few days worth of sandwiches for two, or for a family meal. I could literally eat this bread every day and not tire of it. It earns high praise from my nephew who says, “it tastes just like smushy pillows!”
Maggie
I've been making this recipe almost every weekend since the recipe was posted; sometimes two batches to give some away. I made it today from memory with the active dry yeast and sourdough modifications. I love that it's so simple that I can memorize the recipe, and it's delicious!
MARY D
I've made this as 8 rolls a few times now and they're always a hit. We use them for sandwiches, garlic bread, toasted in the morning with pb and honey. So yummy, thank you for the recipe!
Kim F.
I normally do not leave reviews but I had to let you know how great this recipe worked. The coiling fold was a little challenging but even though my technique was not great it still turned out wonderful. I baked mine about 16 minutes and still ended up with a nice crunchy crusts and tender light interior. Thank you for sharing the recipe and the blog post was very helpful. I will be making this frequently.
Ellen Garrison
Do you think this could be made into a whole wheat recipe by replacing half of the all purpose flour with whole wheat flour? Would it still rise correctly?
Rebecca Eisenberg
I haven't tried this as whole wheat baking can be a very different baking science. Replacing half the flour would definitely be way too much — try replacing 20% of the flour to start. Whole wheat flour still has the bran in it which cuts through the gluten network you're trying to build through all those coil folds — the dough will be weaker as a result. You may need to add an extra one or two set of folds with 30 minute rests in between to build in more strength. Like I said, I haven't tried this, I can't vouch for how it will work, but if you try it please let me know!
mb
these are insanely delicious. the first ciabatta recipe to work for me. it’s taking everything in me not to eat every single bite right now.
Heather
Awesome recipe. I did 8 small loaves. They just came out of the oven and I may have eaten two. Cool first? Ha. Pillows of yeasty goodness. I love slow rising recipes, but sometimes you just want bread when you want it!
Graciela
This is my third ciabatta recipe I tried. The other ones asked for a proofing of at least 14 to 18 hours, at the end they came flat as pancakes, I was going to give up until I decided one more recipe, yours. I’m so glad that I did, your is perfect, fast, that you can make the same day and in my opinion full proof. As I’m writing this comment I’m eating a panino with this wonder bread. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Nicole
Loved this recipe, so very easy to make and delicious. The instructions simple to follow, I used my hands to fold over, don't have a dough hoot yet. simply wonderful recipe, I have made twice and both times amazing. Thank you so much for sharing these delicious recipes with us.
Rebecca Eisenberg
oh i’m so glad you liked it! enjoy the ciabatta!
DeeDee
This is a stellar recipe. The instructions and the shaping/cutting options are clear and well written. I'm excited to add some sourdough discard next time for flavor. This is a truly low effort high reward bake - definitely adding to my regular bread rotation!