Sourdough Ciabatta

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Ciabatta is a traditional Italian bread that’s perfect for sandwiches. With just a few minutes of hands-on time, this sourdough ciabatta boasts a crispy outside and soft, chewy inside. 

The simple ciabatta is a great bread for both bakers and bread lovers. It is not only the easiest and fastest sourdough recipe, but it also makes excellent sandwiches. And it is delicious eaten fresh and warm right out of the oven.

Ingredients and substitutes

• Flour – I highly recommend bread flour if you love a chewy texture to your sourdough bread. Of course, you can definitely make sourdough bread with all-purpose flour as well.
• Water – Since we use a long and slow process of fermentation for this bread room temperature water works just fine.
• Salt – You can use coarse salt, but I prefer to use fine kosher salt to help the dough absorb it well.
• Levain – Levain is a larger amount of wild yeast that is made from a small quantity of sourdough starter.

Sourdough Ciabatta

• Levain – In a medium bowl, combine the sourdough starter, water, and flour. Stir well to combine. Then, cover and leave to rise for 3 hours at room temperature.
  Pro tip – You can make the levain up to 5 days in advance and leave it in the fridge.

• Autolyze – In a large mixing bowl, add the sourdough starter, water, and flour. Stir well with a wooden spoon or spatula. Then, cover the bowl and leave to rest for 60 mins up to 2 hours.
  Pro tip – Autolyze will help strengthen the gluten formation on the dough.

• Salt – Next, add the salt to the starter and combine well for at least 2 minutes. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for another 30 minutes.
  Pro tip – Resting will help rest the gluten and elasticity in the dough. I combine this twice to ensure the salt is well mixed.

Fold

• Folds – Pick the dough from one side and fold it over the other side. Turn the bowl/pan and do the same on the other side. Then, cover and rest for 30 minutes. Fold the dough using this method four times resting every 30 minutes (watch video).
  Pro tip – Folding strengthens the gluten and gives the bread a chewy texture. I usually transfer my dough to a clean rectangular pan for the folds.

• Bulk ferment – Transfer the dough to an oiled rectangular baking dish. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and leave it to rise in the refrigerator (38°F / 3°C) for 8 hours or up to 16 hours.
  Pro tip – Proofing the dough in a rectangular pan will make it easier to shape the dough later.

Bake

• Preheat oven – Preheat the oven at 450°F / 230°C / Gas mark 8 with a pizza stone for at least 45 minutes.
  Pro tip – A pizza stone will ensure a lovely crust on the outside with an airy loaf on the inside.
• Shape – Dust your work surface generously with flour. Make sure you have good coverage to prevent sticking. Dust the top of the dough with flour as well. Then, release the edges of the dough from the bowl/pan then turn the dough out onto a heavily floured work surface.
  Pro tip – High hydration dough will tend to stick easily. So do less with it and make sure you are generous with the dry flour.
• Divide – Using a bench scraper, divide the dough in half, then half again making 4 loves. Then, shape each half into a rectangle trying not to deflate the dough. Transfer to a well-dusted parchment paper or bread cloche. Then, fold the paper or cloche around the loaves to help keep its shape.
  Pro tip – Please note in the video I made 2 loves using half the recipe.
• Prove – Gently, using a cardboard or baking tray (see video), transfer the individual loaves to a well-dusted parchment paper or bread cloche dusted with flour. Fold the paper or cloche around the loaves to help keep its shape. Leave to proof for 30 to 45 minutes.

• Bake – Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown on the top and a hollow sound on the bottom of the bread.
  Pro tip – For a hard crust on the loaves, bake them on a heated cloche covered for the first half of baking. Then, uncovered for the next few minutes.
• Cool – When baked, remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for at least an hour before cutting.
  Pro tip – When baked, the internal temperature of the sourdough bread should be read about 205 to 210°F (or 96-98°C) on an instant-read thermometer.

Sourdough Ciabatta

Author: Veena Azmanov

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Prep Time: 6 hours hrs

Cook Time: 55 minutes mins

Inactive time: 8 hours hrs

Total Time: 14 hours hrs 55 minutes mins

Calories: 166kcal

Adjust Servings Here: 2 loves

Description

Ciabatta is a traditional Italian bread that’s perfect for sandwiches. With just a few minutes of hands-on time, this sourdough ciabatta boasts a crispy outside and soft, chewy inside.

Video

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

4 loves – total dough 920 grams

Levain – 105 grams

• ▢ 35 grams (2 tbsp) Sourdough starter
• ▢ 35 grams (2 tbsp) Water
• ▢ 35 grams (1 tbsp) Bread flour

Bread dough (74% Hydration)

• ▢ 500 grams (4 cups) Bread flour
• ▢ 320 grams (1½ cups) Water (room temperature)
• ▢ 100 grams (½ cups) Levain (above )
• ▢ 9 grams (1 tsp) Kosher salt

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Instructions

• Levain – In a medium bowl, combine the sourdough starter, water, and flour. Stir well to combine. Cover and leave to rise for 3 hours at room temperature.

  Pro tip – You can make the levain for up to 5 days in advance and leave it in the fridge.
  35 grams Sourdough starter, 35 grams Water, 35 grams Bread flour
• Autolyze – In a large mixing bowl, add the sourdough starter, water, and flour. Stir well with a wooden spoon or spatula. Cover the bowl and leave to rest for 60 mins up to 2 hours.

  Pro tip – Autolyze will help strengthen the gluten formation on the dough.
  500 grams Bread flour, 320 grams Water, 100 grams Levain
• Salt – Next, add the salt to the starter and combine well for at least 2 minutes. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for another 30 minutes.

  Pro tip – Resting will help rest the gluten and elasticity in the dough.
  9 grams Kosher salt
• Folds – Pick the dough from one side and fold it over the other side. Turn the bowl/pan and do the same on the other side. Then, cover and rest for 30 minutes. Fold the dough using this method four times resting every 30 minutes (watch video).

  Pro tip – Folding strengthens the gluten and gives the bread a chewy texture. I usually transfer my dough to a clean rectangular pan for the folds.
• Bulk ferment – Transfer the dough to an oiled rectangular baking dish. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and leave it to rise in the refrigerator (38°F / 3°C) for 8 hours or up to 16 hours.

  Pro tip – Proofing the dough in a rectangular pan will make it easier to shape the dough later.
• Preheat oven – Preheat the oven at 450°F / 230°C / Gas mark 8 with a pizza stone for at least 45 minutes.

  Pro tip – A pizza stone will ensure a lovely crust on the outside with an airy loaf on the inside.
• Shape – Dust your work surface generously with flour. Make sure you have good coverage to prevent sticking. Dust the top of the dough with flour as well. Release the edges of the dough from the bowl/pan then turn the dough out onto a heavily floured work surface.

  Pro tip – High hydration dough will tend to stick easily. So do less with it and make sure you are generous with the dry flour.
• Divide – Using a bench scraper, divide the dough in half and then in half again to make 4 loves. Then, shape each half into a rectangle trying not to deflate the dough. Transfer to a well-dusted parchment paper or bread cloche. Fold the paper or cloche around the loaves to help keep its shape.

  Pro tip – Please note in the video I made 2 loaves using half the recipe.
• Prove – Gently, using a cardboard or baking tray (see video), transfer the individual loaves to a well-dusted parchment paper or bread cloche dusted with flour. Fold the paper or cloche around the loaves to help keep its shape. Leave to proof for 30 to 45 minutes.
• Bake – Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown on the top and a hollow sound on the bottom of the bread.

  Pro tip – For a hard crust on the loaves, bake them in a heated cloche covered for the first half of baking. Then, uncovered for the next few minutes.
• Cool – When baked, remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for at least an hour before cutting.

  Pro tip – When baked, the internal temperature of the sourdough bread should be read about 205 to 210°F (or 96-98°C) on an instant-read thermometer.

Recipe Notes & Tips

• If this is your first loaf with sourdough starter dont’ get overwhelmed with hours and baking formulas. That is why in the final recipe I have not given you any baker’s formula to calculate specific hours but rather a longer timeline.
• Also, the timeline for bulk fermentation and proofing is quite large 8 to 16 hours from counter to refrigerator. This means you can start the process 24 hours ahead and not be overwhelmed with the process.
• The timeline is a guide to use which is why I have given you the temperatures. A warm room will help the bread rise faster and a cooler temperature will slow the rise. So, adjust accordingly.
• Use a kitchen scale when baking with sourdough because that will give you an accurate measure.
• Sourdough bread with 80% hydration means the dough is very loose. The bench scraper is your best working tool.
• Hydration refers to the ratio of water to flour. More water means a more open crumb.
• Shape the final loaf of bread on a piece of parchment paper so it is easier to move the dough without it losing shape.
• Today, I used a pizza stone but, baking is a special bread pan such as clouch, dutch oven, or cast-iron pan with ensures a wonderful crust to your sourdough ciabatta bread and is definitely worth the investment. 
• Sourdough must be baked in a hot oven so make sure to preheat your home oven for no less than 30 minutes up to an hour.
• Baked bread must be properly cooled on a cooling rack for at least an hour before you slice. Otherwise, the steam from the bread will evaporate leaving it dry.

Conversions Used

1 lb = 453 grams, 1 cup = 240 ml, 1 stick = 113g, 1 tbsp= 15 ml, 1 tsp= 5 ml,

Nutrition Information

Calories: 166– kcalCarbohydrates: 33– gProtein: 5– gFat: 1– gSaturated Fat: 1– gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1– gMonounsaturated Fat: 1– gSodium: 352– mgPotassium: 43– mgFiber: 1– gSugar: 1– gVitamin A: 1– IUCalcium: 8– mgIron: 1– mg

The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you

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