Light and airy homemade ciabatta bread
This homemade ciabatta bread recipe yields a very light and airy texture with a crisp, golden exterior. The only ciabatta recipe you need.
Servings: 2 loaves
Calories per serving: 697kcal
Ingredients
For the sponge
- ⅔ c AP flour
- ⅓ c water room temperature
- ¼ tsp instant yeast
For bread dough
- 2 ⅓ c AP flour
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp instant yeast
- 1 c water room temperature
Instructions
Make the sponge
- In a medium size plastic or non-reactive container, stir all the ingredients together. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let it ferment at room temperature.⅔ c AP flour, ⅓ c water, ¼ tsp instant yeast
- The sponge is ready when it has doubled in size, approximately 4 to 6 hours. Sponge can sit at room temperature for up to 24 hours.
Make bread dough
- In a mixing bowl of a stand mixer, combine all dry ingredients.2 ⅓ c AP flour, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp instant yeast
- Add water into sponge. Use a wooden spoon or spatula, stir the mixture until well combined. Slowly add sponge mixture to flour mixture.1 c water
- On medium-low speed, start mixing everything together, using a dough hook, until a cohesive dough formed, approximately 3 minutes. You can stop the mixer and scrape down sides of the bowl as needed.
- Increase the speed to medium setting and continue to knead until the dough is completely smooth, becomes shiny, pulls away from the sides and there is absolutely no dry ingredients left. The dough is supposed to be very sticky. This process takes about 10-12 minutes.
First proof
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased large mixing bowl (you can grease with flour or oil). Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap and let it rest until double in size, approximately an hour.
Second proof
- Grease a rubber spatula generously with flour. Then use it to fold the dough (after it was done with first proof) by gently lifting and folding the edge toward the middle.
- Turn the bowl 45 degrees and fold the edge toward the middle again. Repeat the turning and folding process 7 more times.
- Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let it ferment for another 30 minutes.
Third proof
- Repeat the folding steps above. Then cover the bowl again with plastic wrap and let it rise until nearly doubled in size, approximately 1 to 1.5 hours.
Shape bread dough
- Line a rimmed baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside for later use.
- Transfer the dough to a heavily floured surface. Remember to generously flour your hands too.
- Dust the top of the dough with flour and use a scraper to cut the dough in half.
- Work with 1 piece at a time. Using your hands, press and stretch the dough into a 7x11 inch rectangle, about 1 inch thick.
- Stretch and fold top and bottom of the toward the middle to form a 4x8 inch rectangle. Pinch the seam together.
- Repeat these steps with the second piece.
Fourth proof
- Carefully move ciabatta bread dough on the baking pan, seam sides down. Cover them loosely with plastic wrap and let them proof until the dough springs back slowly, and there are small bubbles appeared on the top of the loaves, approximately 45 to 1 hour.
Bake ciabatta
- Pre-steam the oven at 450F with a pan of hot water put on the lowest rack. You can use baking or massage stone to elaborate the steaming process.
- When the dough is ready, quickly mist the loaves with a little bit of water. Then immediately put into the oven (middle rack) and bake for 20-23 minutes.
- 10 minutes after the loaves are baked in the oven, quickly open the oven door and mist the dough again. 5 minutes before the baking time is over, carefully open the oven door, use a towel to keep it open for a few inches to vent any excess steaming.
- Ciabatta bread is done when the crust is golden brown and sounds hollow when lightly tap on the top. Cool the bread completely on racks before serving, approximately 1 to 1.5 hours.
Notes
See FAQs above for storing and cooling instructions.
Nutrition
Calories: 697kcalCarbohydrates: 145gProtein: 21gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0.3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.4gSodium: 1177mgPotassium: 244mgFiber: 6gSugar: 1gVitamin C: 0.01mgCalcium: 35mgIron: 9mg