Light And Airy Sourdough Ciabatta Bread

Sourdough ciabatta bread is like a little slice of Italy in your mouth. It’s got this amazing combination of a crispy, golden crust and a light, airy interior. And guess what? It’s made with natural fermentation (aka sourdough starter), which gives it this deep, tangy flavor. The open crumb, the crispy edges, and the soft, stretchy texture – it’s just perfect for sandwiches, dipping in olive oil, or eating all by itself. Don’t worry, though – this recipe will show you how to make it like a pro, right from your own kitchen. So, get ready for a taste of heaven in every bite!

What is ciabatta bread?

Ciabatta is an Italian white bread known for its rustic, elongated shape, chewy texture, and crispy crust. The word ciabatta in Italian means “slipper.” The bread was named this way because its flat, elongated shape resembles a well-worn slipper. The dough is very wet (80% hydration and higher) and made with a strong bread flour, which gives the bread its signature open crumb with large air pockets.

Ciabatta was first created in 1982 by a baker in Veneto, Italy, as a response to French baguettes. Today, it’s popular for making sandwiches, especially panini, or bruschetta due to its sturdy but airy texture.

Originally ciabatta bread was fermented with sourdough starter, which Italians call it “lievito madre”. This is the classic ciabatta bread recipe we are making today.

Why you will love this recipe

Light and airy texture: With this recipe you will create a super lightweight bread with a crispy crust and a slightly chewy open crumb interior.

Rustic bread: If you like a more rustic appearance and texture in your bread (crusty exterior, wild crumb interior, and an imperfect shape), this recipe is for you.

Classic Italian: Italians know their breads, and this Italian ciabatta bread is one of their most popular ones (along with focaccia). The original recipe is made with only a few simple ingredients and long fermented with a sourdough starter. No olive oil is used in the classic ciabatta bread recipe.

Simplicity of ingredients: You only need a sourdough starter, strong bread flour, salt, and water.

Versatility: Serve this ciabatta bread either on its own, drizzled with some olive oil, or next to your soup. But its more popular uses are for sandwiches (panini) or bruschetta.

Ingredients needed

• Sourdough starter: you will need an active and bubbly starter.
• Flour: I recommend a strong bread flour (13% protein and up). This is very important for a strong gluten structure to create that light and airy open crumb.
• Salt: I used Celtic salt, but any non-iodized salt would work.
• Water: Use filtered water for best results. Tap water contains Chlorine which can inhibit the yeast and bacteria in your starter and prevent proper fermentation.

How to make the sourdough ciabatta

Prepare your starter

If your sourdough starter is not active and bubbly, go ahead and give it a feed 4 hours or more (depending on your starter’s timeline to peak). You can use your starter anytime after peak.

Autolyse

In a large bowl, mix together the flour and water. Give it a really good mix with a spoon or a spatula and let it autolyse for 1 hour covered with a damp towel.

Bulk fermentation

• After 1 hour passed, add the salt and sourdough starter. Mix the dough really well with a spoon or spatula. Let it rest covered with a damp towel.
• After another hour, perform a set of stretch and folds (with wet hands). Cover and let it rest.
• 1 hour later, perform another set of stretch and folds (with wet hands). Cover and let it rest.
• Bulk fermentation is ready when your dough has almost doubled in size (80-90%), and is really bubbly. When you gently shake the bowl, the dough should jiggle and look puffy.
• To properly ferment the dough, don’t look at the clock but rather the state of your dough. Fermentation times vary dependent on the temperature in your kitchen, the strength of your starter, the temperature of the water, and the protein content of your flour. Mine took about 8 hrs (after autolyse) at 68℉ (20℃) on average. In the summer, my bulk fermentation time can take half that time. 

Shape the dough

• Sprinkle the dough with some flour, focusing on the sides of the bowl. Flour your working surface heavily.
• With a floured bench scraper gently dump the dough onto your working surface. You need to be really gentle with the dough as it can deflate easily.
• Use your scraper to gently push the sides of the dough and shape it into a rectangle. Do this without touching the dough with your hands. 

• Sprinkle quite a bit of flour on top of the dough and gently slice the dough into 3 equal rectangles using your bench scraper.
• Prepare a floured parchment paper sheet to put the shaped ciabattas on.
• With both your hands floured well grab a ciabatta from underneath on both sides and transfer it onto the parchment paper. Gently reshape the ciabattas as the transfer slightly ruins the shape. Use gentle hands to do this.

Rest the dough

• Let the ciabattas rest for about 20 minutes.
• Preheat your oven to 465℉ (240℃) with your pizza stone (or cast iron griddle) inside. Boil 2 cups of water to have on stand-by.
• After about 20 minutes, transfer the parchment paper with the ciabattas on the preheated pizza stone (or cast iron griddle). Either use a pizza sleeve or a thin chopping board for the transfer.

Bake the ciabattas

• Pour the boiling water in an oven safe dish on the bottom of your oven after your placed the ciabattas in. This will create a steamy environment which is ideal for a good oven spring and nice crust.
• Close the oven door and let the ciabattas bake for about 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. The ciabattas should sound hallow when you gently tap and have slightly puffed up. The crust should be hard to the touch. 
• Let the ciabattas cool completely on a wire rack.
• Once they have completely cooled, you can slice it through the middle lengthwise (or slice it like a loaf, if you prefer).
• The outside should be crusty and crispy and the inside should have an open crumb (large holes, light and airy texture). Be aware that sourdough is slightly chewier than conventional yeasted bread.

Serve and enjoy!

How to store your ciabatta bread

Store them for a few days in a bread box or bag, or slice and freeze them. When needed, take one out and let it thaw at room temperature. You can either gently toast it or warm it in the oven at low temperature. If stored at room temperature, the ciabattas will lose the crunchy crust and will become softer.

Baking tips

• This sourdough ciabatta bread is a high hydration dough (87.5%). This is not an easy recipe for a beginner baker, as you will need some baking experience to handle the wet dough. If you are a beginner baker a lower hydration recipe like this easy sourdough bread might be easier to master.
• Don’t be tempted to add more flour to your dough. Your dough is meant to be wet and shaggy. You will need to work on strengthening the dough in order to make it elastic and malleable. Do this by giving it a vigorous mix and a few sets of stretch and folds. The higher in protein your flour is, the easier it is to work the dough.
• Autolysing is also an important step for a good dough strength. Hydrating your flour with water kickstarts gluten development and makes the dough more extensible (stretchy), therefore easier to handle.
• Use wet hands when handling the dough to avoid sticking.
• Read the dough, and not the clock, to know when your dough is done fermenting. The dough should have lots of large bubbles on the surface, be jiggly when shaking the bowl, and have visibly risen in size. Bulk fermentation can take anywhere from 4hrs to 12hrs (or more) depending on the environment (temperature, humidity levels), and strength of your sourdough starter.
• Flour your work surface heavily. Ciabatta dough is sticky but it can take quite a lot of surface flour, so don’t be shy using it.
• Use gentle hands when handling this dough. It easily deflates and you will lose all those precious air pockets that your starter worked on.
• Use a bench scraper. Life is so much easier when you use a bench scraper when handling a wet and sticky dough. Remember to flour your dough scraper as well before using it.
• Don’t be too precious about shaping the ciabatta. What matters is the dough and not the shape.
• Use steam when baking. This will help tremendously with crisping of the crust and the oven spring of ciabattas.
• Three things that play a key role in the success of your sourdough ciabatta: the strength of your starter (a mature and healthy starter will make 80% of the job), the process of strengthening the dough (autolyse, strong flour, stretch and folds), and getting the time right on your bulk fermentation (this is where sourdough baking experience comes in).

Should I cold ferment?

If you are short on time, or prefer a more sour flavor and chewier texture, go ahead and do a cold retard after bulk fermentation. But you will need to cut bulk fermentation sooner as you risk to over ferment in the fridge. You don’t need to shape the dough before putting it in the fridge. And make sure your dough is properly fermented before shaping it after refrigeration.

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