Description
This rustic Italian ciabatta recipe delivers perfectly chewy bread with a crisp crust and airy crumb. Made with a fermented biga starter and a high hydration dough, this two-day process rewards you with bakery-quality results at home.
Ingredients
Biga / Preferment:
1 cup (130g) bread flour
1/8 teaspoon active-dry or instant yeast
1/2 cup (120g/ml) room-temperature water (about 70°F)
Dough:
1 teaspoon (3g) active-dry or instant yeast
1 cup (240g/ml) warm water (100–110°F)
2 and 1/2 cups (325g) bread flour
1 and 1/2 teaspoons (8g) salt
Olive oil, as needed (for coating hands and spatula)
Instructions
1. In a bowl, combine bread flour, yeast, and water for the biga. Mix and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit at room temperature for 8–24 hours.
2. Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add biga, bread flour, and salt. Mix with dough hook or spatula until uniform.
3. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
4. Perform the first stretch-and-fold around the dough. Repeat three more times, resting 30 minutes between each. Then refrigerate for 1–24 hours.
5. Generously flour your surface. Gently scrape dough out. Shape into a rectangle.
6. Cut into 8 rolls (2.5×3.5 inches) or 2 loaves (5×7 inches). Transfer to floured parchment paper.
7. Lightly flour the tops, cover, and proof for 1 hour.
8. Preheat oven to 450°F for 1 hour with baking sheet inside. Add ice cubes to a lower rack tray for steam.
9. Slide parchment with rolls onto hot baking sheet. Bake for 20–25 minutes until golden and hollow-sounding.
10. Cool for at least 45 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Use bread flour for best structure and chew. The dough is very sticky—do not add extra flour.
Refrigerate dough after stretch-and-fold for up to 24 hours.
Add fresh rosemary and garlic for an herbed version.
Can be shaped into focaccia or baked on a pizza stone.
Freeze baked loaves for up to 3 months. Thaw and reheat before serving.
- Prep Time: 13 hours
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian