Easy No Knead Ciabatta Bread
This is an Easy no Knead, One bowl Italian Ciabatta Bread. Two hours and you can have Homemade Bread for lunch or dinner. Perfect with your favorite soup or stew or with a slice or prosciutto!
When I moved to Italy, I discovered that bread was a very serious business! Fresh whether it be the local bakery or homemade fresh daily bread was a must.
Recipe Ingredients
- Water – lukewarm
- Honey
- Yeast – active dry
- Flour – all purpose flour or bread flour
- Salt
How to make a Ciabatta Bread Recipe
In a small bowl add water, honey and yeast, let sit 5-10 minutes then stir.
In a large bowl add the flour , make a well in the centre and add the yeast mixture and a little water, if the dough is too dry then add a little more flour a little at a time, until you reach a wettish dough. But remember Ciabatta is a high hydration bread, so do not over flour, or you will not get those lovely air pockets inside the bread.
Mix together with a wooden spoon, when almost mixed add the salt and combine. The ciabatta dough will be loose and sticky. Sprinkle the top with 1 1/2 tablespoons of flour.
Cover the bowl with a large tea towel or plastic wrap.
Place in a warm, draft free area and let the dough rise.
Carefully move the dough from the bowl with a bench scraper or spatula to the prepared baking sheet, making sure that the floured top of the dough remains on the top. Using wet hands can also help with moving the dough easier.
With a spatula or wet hands form the dough into an oblong loaf, place some ice cubes on a pan on the bottom of the oven to create vapor or add the pan when pre-heating the oven and pour 1 cup of very hot water into the pan before adding the dough to the middle rack. Bake until golden and baked through. Immediately move to a wire rack to cool before cutting and serving.
Why do I add ice cubes or hot water?
Adding the ice cubes or hot water to the preheated oven creates steam. They melt and evaporate at just the right time. Once they evaporate and are no longer creating steam this gives the bread a chance to form that lovely outer crust.
I recommend using a thick metal dish rather than a glass or ceramic cake pan if you are using ice cubes as the difference in temperatures can cause the dish to crack.
How to tell when bread is done
You can tell bread is done when you tap on the bottom of the loaf and there is a hollow sound, but if you want to be 100 percent sure, then using a thermometer is your best best, the bread is baked when the centre of the loaf registers 200 to 210 degrees.
What is Ciabatta Bread
This bread is originally from the North of Italy, from the Province of Rovigo in Veneto Region. It is a flat, elongated bread with a light texture. It is a very simple bread, made up of a very high quantity of water which produced a very wet dough. It produces a very large crumb. And is considered a typical old fashioned Italian bread.
Why I became intrigued with bread making I have know idea, it started in my early twenties and went from there.
I would try making something now and then from Bagels to Pizza and the occasional Loaf of Bread.
I also discovered that bread making isn’t nearly as difficult as I thought and this Italian Ciabatta (Ciabatta meaning Slipper in English, because of the shape and flatness of the bread).
Can I substitute active dry yeast?
Yes you can substitute with instant yeast, for every teaspoon of active dry yeast use 3/4 teaspoon of instant yeast. Also be aware it won’t need as much time to rise.
How to store it
Keep the baked cooled bread, closed in an airtight bag, for 2-3 days. You can freeze it in freezer safe bags, defrost the bread in the refrigerator as needed, passing them in the oven for a few minutes to revive them. It will keep up to 2-3 months in the freezer.
This Homemade Ciabatta Bread is a simple and delicious bread. The perfect addition to whatever you are serving, amazing as a dipping bread also! I hope you enjoy it! Buon Appetito!
More delicious homemade bread recipes you may enjoy!
- Best Pizza Dough
- Homemade Olive Oil Bread Rolls
- Sweet Surprise Dessert Bread
- Easy Focaccia Bread
- Traditional Italian Ciabatta Bread
Homemade Italian Ciabatta Bread
Ingredients
- ¾-1 cup + 1 tablespoon water lukewarm (divided)
- ½ teaspoon honey (or granulated sugar)
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 cups + 3 tablespoons all purpose flour (or bread flour) (divided) (273 grams total)
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a small bowl add ¼ cup of water, honey and yeast, let sit 5 minutes then stir.
- In a large bowl add the flour , make a well in the centre and add the yeast mixture and ½ cup of water (if too dry then add the extra ¼ cup 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach a wettish dough, or if too wet add more flour a tablespoon at a time). Mix together with a wood spoon, when almost mixed add the salt and combine. The dough will be loose and sticky. Sprinkle the top with 1½ tablespoons of flour.
- Cover the bowl with a large tea towel, place in a warm, draft free area and let rise for 1½ hours.
- Pre-heat oven to 425F (220C), line a baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle with 1½ tablespoons of flour.
- Carefully move the dough from the bowl to the prepared baking sheet, making sure that the floured top of the dough remains on the top. With a spatula form the dough into an oblong loaf.
- Place the baking sheet on the middle rack, bake for approximately 20 – 25 minutes. Move immediately to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
TO CREAT VAPOUR
- While the oven is pre-heating place an empty cake pan at the bottom of the oven, add 4-5 ice cubes or a cup of very hot water before adding the bread dough on the baking sheet to the middle shelf.
Notes
Nutrition
Updated from November 27, 2018.
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Hi, I want to make two and freeze one before baking so I can make it later. Is that possible?
Hi Becky, you could freeze the dough after the dough rises. I hope you enjoy it. Take care!
HI Rosemary,
Can I use instant yeast?
Hi Joanne, yes you can, use 1 1/2 teaspoons and the rising time will be less, probably about an hour, also add the yeast with the flour (whisk together) then add the water and honey and continue with the recipe. Let me know how it goes.
Such an easy recipe! Quick to make and delicious! My husband loved it. I did not get big airy holes in it but will keep trying. Who doesn’t love bread fresh from the oven! Thank you!
Hi Anne, thanks so much, glad you and your husband enjoyed. Try not to handle it too much and maybe add a bit more liquid. Take care!
What a recipe. Love it. Such a quick slipper with no fuss. If I’m short of time I shove the dough to rise in the oven at 30deg for 30 mins – gets me doubling at 45 mins and still great bubbles. Need to try the 00 flour to see the difference but supermarket bread flour gives me great results.
Hi Andy, thanks so much, glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for the info. Take care!
Hi Rosemary,
Great recipe, I keep baking this. Need more bubbles and will try till l get it right.
I thought the same thing John thought though about the water and flour.
Hi Estelle, thanks, I added water to instructions. Take care!
Can I use 00 flour?
Hi James, yes you can, it may need more liquid or more flour so adjust it as you go, but it should be a wettish dough. Let me know how it goes. Take care!
Hi,
“In a large bowl add the flour , make a well in the centre and add the yeast mixture and a little water, if the dough is too dry then add a little more flour a little at a time, until you reach a wettish dough. But remember Ciabatta is a high hydration bread, so do not over flour, or you will not get those lovely air pockets inside the bread.”
This instruction above; Should it say
“if the dough is too dry then add a little more water(flour) a little at a time, until you reach a wettish dough” ?
Hi John, I see nothing wrong with what I wrote. 🙂
Hi Rosemary, I must be mixed up! It just seemed funny that if it was too dry you added more flour, I expected it to say add more water!
I think she meant to write water, the dough shouldn’t be dry!
The problem is comma placement and not capitalizing the first word of the next sentence.
make a well in the centre and add the yeast mixture and a little water if the dough is too dry. Then add a little more flour a little at a time, until you reach a wettish dough. Voila!
Hello, I made this bread for our family Sunday night dinner. It was a hit . I had to fight off my granddaughter to get a slice. Oh by the way, I’m not a baker and it came out perfect.
Hi Chuck, thanks so much, so glad it was enjoyed by you and your granddaughter. Take care!
How do I form dough with a spatula?
Hi Rick, it’s to help you form the dough on the baking pan or you can use slightly wet hands. Hope that helps. Take care!
can i turn this into ciabetta buns instead of a loaf?
Hi Alicia, sure, wet your hands to make it easier to separate and shape the dough. Let me know how it goes. Take care!
love it, turned out great!!!!!!
Hi Cheryl, thanks so much, so glad you enjoyed it. Take care!
Bread tastes good but with no air bubbles. What is the reason for the flour on the top, really don’t like it with all that flour. Why no air bubbles would like to make again.
Thank you.
Hi Carol, if you want you can add less flour on top, no air bubbles could be because the bread was handled too much or not a wet enough dough. Take care!