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Ciabatta

Published: Updated:

5 Reviews

Total Time
40m
Prep Time
20m
Bake Time
20m
Serves 2
Serves 2
intermediate
A little effort

About our ciabatta recipe

The classic staple, that is a warm ciabatta surely has to be the bake to master if you want to experience the best of bread baking? The versatile loaf is another artisan Italian bread which goes perfect with almost anything.

Why not create your own ciabatta garlic bread, or the perfect accompanyment to hot soup on a cold winters' day?

Are ciabatta and foccacia the same?

Focaccia is lightweight and cake-like where as ciabatta has a dence dough and chewy texture. Focaccia is also baked as a flatbread, whilst ciabatta is baked as a loaf and can be sliced into pieces.

Ciabatta makes the perfect sandwich with chewy crusts, whilst focaccia is a yummy antipasto or appetizer. I don't know about you, but our tummies are rumbling.

7 ingredients6 steps

    Method

    1. Step 1

      Put the flour, sugar, salt and yeast into a bowl. Mix to a soft dough with the oil and water.

    2. Step 2

      Turn onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes.

    3. Step 3

      Divide the dough into two pieces. Stretch each piece into a rough circle about this size of a dinner plate and then fold like an envelope to give the traditional ciabatta shape.

    4. Step 4

      Place the loaves on a greased baking tray and leave covered with a tea towel until slightly risen. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan, gas mark 6).

    5. Step 5

      Dust liberally with flour and bake in an oven for 15-20 minutes until well risen and puffy.

    6. Step 6

      Leave on a wire rack to cool.

    Ingredients

      • 50gVery strong white bread flour 
      • 450gAllinson's Strong white bread flour 
      • 2 tspUnrefined golden granulated sugar 
      • 1.5 tspSalt 
      • 1.25 tspEasy bake yeast 
      • 4 tbspOlive oil 
      • 285mlWarm water 

    5 Baker Ratings

    Whatever these loaves are it isn’t ciabatta. This is the only recipe from this website that hasn’t worked for me even though I followed the recipe to the letter. I used both Allinson’s flours and the yeast. The result is very doughy and dense and there’s no open crumbs. They are soft like a stottie cake. What have I done wrong?

    Baking Mad

    Hello,

    Doughy and dense would say to me that the dough has been overworked and not baked for long enough. Maybe try adjusting the kneading time and the bake time and see if this makes a difference.

    Happy Baking!

    Love this?

    I’ve made lots of bread from this site but this was my first attempt at Ciabatta
    I made mine in to 8 small loafs more the size you would get from the supermarket perfect for sandwiches and it was absolutely delicious. The wife said she will let me make it again 😂

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