This recipe guides you through baking beautiful, authentic Artisan Ciabatta Bread, known for its irresistibly chewy interior, irregular open crumb, and famously crisp crust. The image displays several oblong loaves of unbaked ciabatta dough, generously dusted with flour, resting on a baking sheet, showcasing their characteristic rustic appearance before baking. Ciabatta, meaning “slipper” in Italian, gets its name from its flat, elongated shape. Achieving the signature texture requires a high hydration dough and minimal handling, which allows the gluten to develop naturally and creates those desirable large air pockets. This recipe focuses on a “no-knead” or minimal-knead approach, making it accessible even for novice bakers, while still delivering a professional-quality loaf.
Ingredients:
For the Biga (Pre-ferment – made 12-18 hours in advance):
- 1 ¼ cups (300ml) lukewarm water (around 70-75°F / 21-24°C)
- ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 ½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour or bread flour
For the Final Dough:
- All of the prepared Biga
- 1 ½ cups (360ml) lukewarm water (around 70-75°F / 21-24°C)
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 3 ½ cups (420g) all-purpose flour or bread flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- Extra all-purpose flour or rice flour, for dusting
Equipment:
- Large mixing bowl (at least 5-6 quart capacity)
- Plastic wrap
- Dough scraper or sturdy spatula
- Kitchen scale (highly recommended for accuracy)
- Bench scraper or large knife
- Large baking sheet(s)
- Parchment paper
- Cooling rack
- Oven-safe pot with lid (e.g., Dutch oven) or a pan for water (for steam)
- Spray bottle (for misting if not using a Dutch oven)
Instructions:
Part 1: Prepare the Biga (12-18 hours in advance)
- Mix the Biga: In a medium bowl, combine the 1 ¼ cups lukewarm water and ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast. Stir gently until the yeast is dissolved. Add 1 ½ cups all-purpose or bread flour and mix with a spoon or spatula until just combined. The mixture will be thick and shaggy. Do not overmix.
- Ferment the Biga: Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature (ideally 68-72°F / 20-22°C) for 12-18 hours. The biga should become bubbly, slightly puffed, and have a pleasant yeasty aroma. It may collapse slightly when tapped. This long fermentation develops the complex flavor and open crumb characteristic of ciabatta.
Part 2: Prepare the Final Dough
- Combine Biga and Water: In a very large mixing bowl, gently break up the fermented biga into smaller pieces. Add the 1 ½ cups lukewarm water and 1 teaspoon active dry yeast. Use your hands or a spatula to gently break down the biga further, allowing it to dissolve slightly into the water.
- Add Flour and Salt: Add the 3 ½ cups all-purpose or bread flour and 2 teaspoons salt to the bowl. Mix with a sturdy spoon or your hands until all the flour is hydrated and a shaggy, very wet dough forms. The dough will be extremely sticky. Do not knead vigorously.
- First Rise (Bulk Fermentation): Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let the dough rise at room temperature for 1.5-2 hours, or until it has doubled in size and is very bubbly.
- Stretch and Folds (Every 30 minutes): This is crucial for gluten development in high-hydration doughs.
- After the first 30 minutes of the bulk fermentation, lightly wet your hands. Gently grab a portion of the dough from one side, stretch it upwards, and fold it over to the opposite side of the bowl.
- Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat the stretch and fold. Continue this process 4-6 times around the bowl.
- Re-cover the bowl and let it rest.
- Repeat this stretch and fold process every 30 minutes for the remaining 1-1.5 hours of the first rise (total of 3-4 sets of stretch and folds). The dough will become stronger and more elastic with each set.
Part 3: Shape and Second Rise (Proofing)
- Prepare Work Surface: Liberally dust your work surface (a large cutting board or countertop) with plenty of all-purpose or rice flour.
- Transfer Dough: Gently scrape the highly hydrated dough out of the bowl onto the floured surface. Avoid deflating it too much.
- Divide Dough: With a well-floured bench scraper or large knife, gently cut the dough into 4-6 oblong pieces. Try to keep them as rectangular as possible. Avoid excessive handling.
- Final Shaping (Optional, but helps maintain shape): Gently dust the tops of each piece of dough with more flour. If you want a more defined “slipper” shape, you can gently stretch each piece slightly from the ends to lengthen it, being careful not to degas.
- Second Rise (Proofing): Carefully transfer the shaped ciabatta loaves to baking sheets lined with parchment paper that has been generously dusted with flour or cornmeal. Leave ample space between them. You can create “couches” by bunching the parchment paper between the loaves to help them hold their shape during proofing.
- Proof: Loosely cover the baking sheets with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Let the ciabatta proof at room temperature for 45-60 minutes, or until they are visibly puffy and light, and pass the “poke test” (when gently poked with a floured finger, the dough springs back slowly).
Part 4: Bake the Ciabatta
- Preheat Oven & Prepare for Steam: Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C). If you have a baking stone or steel, place it in the oven during preheating. If not, use a heavy baking sheet. Place an empty oven-safe pan on the bottom rack of your oven (this will be for steam).
- Transfer to Oven: Carefully transfer the risen ciabatta loaves to the hot baking stone or sheet. You can do this by sliding them directly from the parchment paper onto the stone.
- Create Steam: Immediately pour about 1 cup of hot water into the empty pan on the bottom rack (be careful of the steam!). Quickly close the oven door. The steam helps create a crisp crust. Alternatively, if not using a pan of water, you can heavily mist the inside of the oven with water 2-3 times during the first 5 minutes of baking.
- Bake: Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the ciabatta loaves are deep golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
- Cool: Transfer the baked ciabatta loaves to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. This allows the internal structure to set and prevents a gummy texture.
- Serve: Enjoy your homemade Artisan Ciabatta with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, as a side for soups, or for delicious sandwiches. The open crumb and chewy texture are truly rewarding.