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!
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
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.](https://thepracticalkitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/fluffy-fast-ciabatta-bread-234.jpg)
![[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)
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.](https://thepracticalkitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/fluffy-fast-ciabatta-bread-294.jpg)
![[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)
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.
How I Shape and Cut Ciabatta Dough
Always cut and shape ciabatta on a generously floured work surface.
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.
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.
Slide a metal bench scraper under the ciabatta in one quick motion.
Use the bench scraper or floured hands to nudge the flipped rolls apart.
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
💭 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
Recipe Notes
- Overnight rise: pop the dough 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.
- I feel like I'm not getting the hang of the coil folding. Help! First of all, take a deep breath. It will be okay. If you find it easier to do stretch and folds, do those 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!
- 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. For a less floury ciabatta, dust it off.
- 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.
- 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 5-10 minutes.
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 (90°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.
- 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.
- 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!
Dario says
Thank you, this looks like a useful option for ciabatta, as I use ciabatta rolls for hamburgers and it can be hard to find one's which are softer, large enough, and salted enough to taste right (TJ's are perfect, but I'm 2 hours from the closest. Lol.
My questions: do you punch down the dough at the end of the bulk fermentation before shaping the rolls? Do you let them rest again after shaping? Many thanks!
Rebecca Eisenberg says
Hi! No need to punch the dough down at the end of the bulk fermentation — you want to preserve the air that's in the dough! And yes, let them rest again after shaping as the recipe says at the end of step 6: "Cover with a clean dish towel and let the dough rest for about 30 minutes." This resting period should be while the oven is preheating! Happy baking!
Tamara says
Hi!
I’m interested in making these and I saw you have a note about using sourdough starter — but I’d love to not use instant/active dry yeast. Can I just use the starter (along with the other modifications you mentioned) and expect the process to take longer?
Thanks!!
Rebecca Eisenberg says
Unfortunately not without changing the entire timing and cadence of the recipe! Sourdough usually needs a much longer bulk fermentation period to develop strength and structure since it’s a much slower moving yeast. I haven’t tested fully replacing the yeast with sourdough starter so can’t tell you where to begin with the ratios or timing for yhat, though you’re more than welcome to use this recipe as a jumping off point for your own experiments!
Natasha says
I LOVE this recipe and have made it a few times before successfully, however today I am out of olive oil- do you think I can use avocado oil instead? Any experience with this? Thank you for this recipe, it's so good!
Rebecca Eisenberg says
I haven’t personally tested avocado oil but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work! Enjoy!
Janie says
Definitely pay attention to the note to 1/2 the salt. We buy our kosher salt in bulk, so I don't know the brand. I used 5 teaspoons and the buns are very salty. I'll definitely cut the salt in half next time. And there will be a next time. These are ridiculously easy and quick to make. The dough came together beautifully and after all the folds, it was silky and easy to work with.
F2D says
This is a 5 star recipe, have made it many times and making rolls for sammy’s is the best!!
Mikki Leon says
Thank you so much for this recipe. It was exactly what I was looking for for all the same reasons that you created it. I cannot chew the store-bought versions of Ciabatta Bread and I planned on making my version of a French Dip/Philly Cheesesteak kind of sandwich. I thought this bread would hold up better than a baguette hoagie bun you buy from the store. But I knew I didn’t want a really rustic tough bread either. It was easy fun and fast. My kitchen was already on the warm side. I was doing a lot of food prep and baking and it was so easy to do while I worked on other things in the kitchen. And it came out just the right textures. Thank you so much for creating and sharing this recipe Sincerely, Mikki León
Mariela says
What are the US measurements for this?
Rebecca Eisenberg says
I don’t know, I’m American and I don’t measure that way.
Gwen says
Hi Rebecca - Just tried the recipe today, and while there were some environmental variables I think impacted how airy my crumb way, great easy recipe.
erica says
my GO TO! Fool proof
Renee Petersen says
I made today for the first time and it was FANTASTIC!
Thanks for the great instructions… so easy
Lori Cullen says
My new favorite bread recipe! Excellent instructions, easy and fast to make, delicious tasting bread. I've been making 8 sandwich rolls at a time, freezing some for later use. Thank you!
Sabrina says
So good! Even if my dough was so so so wet haha! Wondering if being in the tropics (it was so hot and humid today) has anything to do with it. 🙂 Thanks for the recipe!
Rebecca Eisenberg says
Being in the tropics can DEFINITELY affect the hydration of your dough. I’d hold back on some of the water next time you make it, you’ll find the dough much easier to handle. Enjoy!
Sabrina See says
Tried again with less water and it was perfect, thank you!
Rebecca Eisenberg says
You are so welcome! Glad it worked for you 🙂
Sara says
I love this recipe, and so does anybody who has tried the final result. Soooo tonight I went with 3x the recipe, and it is sooooo wet. I'm on my fourth set of coil folds, and i am still not getting much tension. Two things I think could be affecting it are 1) i got lazy with warming up the water and 2) it's colder in my house right now.... i'm going to do a few extra coil folds before the bulk ferment, and moved it to a warmer part of the house. Any other last minute tips? I will let you know how it turns out either way!
Rebecca Eisenberg says
Scaling up may definitely require more sets of folds especially if the temperature is off — you have a lot more starches and yeast activity going on and it’s going to take more sets of folds to realign all of them to build the same amount of structure in the dough. Keep at it and add more flour if needed and it should come together! It may also need a longer bulk fermentation time once the folds are done — consider an overnight rise in the fridge if you can!
Let me know how it turns out.
Sara says
Ok I should have kept going with more stretching and folding, but I needed to bulk rise and go to bed. Since I’ve done the single batch I know what it should look and feel like, and it was still pretty wet by the time I cut and baked. BUT honestly, still delish. I’m probably the only one in my house that notices they are slightly less airy. But for next time, if I increase the recipe I will definitely warm up my water appropriately and will probably change the ratio to slightly more flour. Thank you!!
Sarah says
When my house is cold I let the bread rise in the oven — turned off!! — but with the light on. That makes a cozy warm spot without getting too hot.
Rebecca says
I did 5-6 stretch and folds/coils (?) with my dough and it was still tearing. I finished them and then added a small amount of flour right before the second bulk rise per your tips. I’ve never had this issue with this recipe and I live in Florida, altitude isn’t an issue. Any recommendations aside from cutting back on the water next time?
Rebecca Eisenberg says
Given that your Florida kitchen is probably a lot more humid than my Boston kitchen, holding back some water next time will absolutely make a difference! You could also try using bread flour, since it's slightly more absorbent than AP flour and will soak up more of the water. But if you'd rather not buy a specialty flour, just hold back some water and you'll be just fine! Happy baking!
Rebecca says
I actually normally use bread flour and I’m pretty certain that’s what I’ve used in the past. I’m thinking you’re right, the AP flour plus the full water might have been too much. Thank you so much for your help!
Sarah says
I am obsessed with this recipe! It is so good and so easy. My tip to anyone trying it for the first time is to dust everything with a lot more flour than you think you need to After it’s baked you can brush it off again, but it’s a very sticky dough and it really makes it much easier. I can’t get the coil folds to work, because the dough won’t separate from the bowl like that, but I just scoop my hand under one half of the blob in the bowl, stretch it up, and fold it over what’s still stuck to the bowl. Rotate the bowl and repeat a few times. It seems to work!
Rebecca Eisenberg says
So glad you enjoy the ciabatta! And you're absolutely right — any type of folding really will work here. If the coil folds aren't working for you, what you're doing will work just fine too. I find the coil folds give me slightly bigger air bubbles, but its such a small difference that whatever type of folding you prefer is just fine. 🙂 Happy baking!
Loriann Walter says
The best ciabatta bread EVER!
Thank you so much!
Emma says
Hi I love this recipe. I use it all the time!! I was wondering if I could also use bread flour instead of all purpose flour, and what the difference would be! ☺️
Rebecca Eisenberg says
You can definitely use bread flour here! It’s a little more absorbent than all purpose flour so will make your dough stronger and a bit chewier. It’ll make the dough easier to handle, too. You might find the finished rolls have a slightly tighter crumb or aren’t as airy but I don’t think you’ll notice too much of a difference!
Jerry Carter says
I've made this bread several times. I've altered two things. First, I'm not a big fan of EVOO so I substitute avocado oil. Second, I use two packets of rapid rise yeast. This bread is delicious. Thanks for posting this!!!
Jeannie F. says
As a frequent sourdough baker I was looking for a quick recipe that didn’t require the longer bulk ferment time. Stumbled on this recipe and it is safe to say this is going to be my go-to for delicious homemade bread without the long wait! Love the soft texture and delicate flavor. Thank you for sharing!
Alice says
Thank you, really great recipe and instructions. I have made it 4 times now and made the most fantastic ciabatta based on the sourdough version. So impressed just wanted to thank you and recommend it.
James Wright says
I made these (four medium sized ciabatta) and they were great. I'm a bit confused though by step 4 and 6. Once dropped out of the bowl (step 4), the original bottom is now on top. Then step 6 (optional) says flip them so 'so the underside is now facing up'. The original underside or the new underside after step 4?
Rebecca Eisenberg says
Step 6 refers to the new underside!
Jeff says
Made it three times excellent results
Cheryl says
Absolutely love this recipie!! So far, I've done 1 big round loaf, 2 sandwich loaves and 1 sandwich load and 6 buns. All of them turned out amazing! Love love love!! Thank you! 🙏
Becca says
I know the section says you can freeze the bread after it’s baked but can you freeze the dough to bake later?
Rebecca Eisenberg says
I don’t recommend it!
Sammy W says
Do you have the nutrition for this receipt (Calories, sodium, sugar, etc)? Thank you.
Rebecca Eisenberg says
I don’t! I keep my website free of diet culture and I am not qualified to calculate that information. If you want to calculate it for yourself you can, but I don’t provide it.