An authentic Italian ciabatta bread recipe or slipper bread, originally from the Veneto, made with an overnight starter and cooked just like a pizza on a preheated pizza stone.
Invented by Francesco Favaron in 1982, it is the perfect bread for sandwiches, bruschetta, panzanella, or just to dip in your favorite olive oil.
Very easy to execute at home, but you will need to plan in advance for the starter or Biga.
Don’t be intimated! This is a sticky wet dough, hence those nice coveted holes that make ciabatta special and different. Just roll with it, don’t be tempted to add extra flour, all will turn out great!
If you are looking for a quick last minute crusty bread to make for dinner, then I’d suggest you try this easy rustic bread recipe instead, also baked on a pizza stone (<–amazon ).
how to serve ciabatta bread:
make sandwiches / panini.
how to store it:
Store your homemade ciabatta in a breadbox or plastic storage bag at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. Alternatively you can slice it and freeze it in freezer proof bags up to 3 months. Place the slices directly in the toaster when ready to eat, no need to thaw them out.
An authentic Italian recipe for ciabatta bread or slipper bread, originally from the Veneto made with an overnight starter and cooked just like pizza on a preheated pizza stone
- 2 c organic bread flour
- 1/2 tsp dry active yeast
- 1.5 tsp sea salt
- 11 tbsp filtered water
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp warm plant milk
- 1 c organic bread flour
- 1/3 c filtered water at room temperature
- 1/8 tsp active dry yeast
- 2 tbsp warm water
Make your starter the night before you plan to bake the bread.
Mix together the yeast with 2 tablespoons of warm water. Allow it to stand for a few minutes.
In a medium size mixing bowl stir together the yeast mixture with the flour and the water until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and allow it to sit at room temperature overnight. If preparing it in the morning then let it sit until evening and up to 24 hours.
Use your stand mixer and combine the yeast and the warm plant milk. Let it sit for a few minutes until creamy.
Add the starter, olive oil, flour, sea salt and water and mix together for about 10 minutes until everything is incorporated.
Prepare a large bowl lightly oiled with olive oil. Transfer the bread dough to it and cover with plastic wrap. Allow it to sit until doubled in size, up to 2 hours.
Turn the bread dough onto a well floured surface and with floured hands cut it in half. Form 2 long loaves.
Transfer them to a parchment lined baking sheet.
Optional step: Flour your fingers well and create dimples in the top of the loaves. Sprinkle with some flour.
Lightly dampen a tea towel and cover the loaves. Allow them to rise again until doubled in size, up to 2 hours.
Meanwhile preheat your oven to 425” F with a Pizza Stone in the center for 1 hour before planning to bake the bread.
Transfer one of the loaves to the preheated pizza stone (together with the parchment paper) and bake for about 25 minutes until golden brown to your liking.
Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before slicing it with a serrated knife.
#1 To get a crusty loaf make sure to use a pizza stone and also create some steam in the oven by placing a dish filled with water on the bottom as the oven heats up. Add more water if needed before baking the bread. Allow the loaves to cool inside the oven after baking with the oven door slightly open.
#2 If you don't have a stand mixer just use a wooden spoon to mix the dough together, it will appear to be more difficult this way as we are dealing with a wet dough.
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DD
March 22, 2017 at 8:32 pmNot everybody has a stand mixer…I know great shock … Wooden spoon then how much kneading???????????
Florentina
March 23, 2017 at 12:07 pmHi DD, no worries, just use a wooden spoon until everything is incorporated well, a few minutes is all you need.
Dominique
March 25, 2017 at 6:49 pmI do not have a pizza stone, can I use an insulated cookie sheet instead ?
Florentina
March 25, 2017 at 7:43 pmYou sure can, only I think it will be difficult to attain that crispy crust. Still worth making tough 🙂
Sara
September 21, 2017 at 1:34 pmTry a baking steel … they are way better then a stone and can be used on the grill as well…mmmm best crust…everytime
Florentina
September 21, 2017 at 3:57 pmGreat idea, will have to try it that way too! thank you!
Judy
March 27, 2017 at 2:51 amCan the bread be baked, cooled then wrapped and frozen?
Florentina
March 27, 2017 at 11:19 amHonestly I haven’t experimented with that yet so I wouldn’t want to misguide you. If you do try it please report back tough 🙂
Marissa
March 28, 2017 at 3:26 pmThat is one gorgeous loaf of bread! I’d love to have a big hunk of it dunked in good olive oil. I’ve wanted to try making ciabatta at home forever – now I have my recipe!!
Florentina
March 31, 2017 at 4:13 pmThanks Marissa, one of those days when it gets a little chilly outside is the perfect time for baking! ~ Florentina Xo’s
Tina
March 31, 2017 at 5:51 amCan the other loaf of dough sit out while the first one bakes and should I heat up another pan while the first one is baking!
Florentina
March 31, 2017 at 4:11 pmYes it can, you’ll bake it on the same pizza stone you baked your first one. Also, you could bake them together if your stone/pan is big enough. I’m guessing you are a using a pan 😉
Beverley
March 31, 2017 at 10:57 amHow long can the 2nd loaf be kept before baking?
Florentina
March 31, 2017 at 4:16 pmYou can keep it on the counter while the first one is baking. I hope that answered your question.
LORI
April 4, 2017 at 6:03 pmMine seems very flat- I’m soooo tempted to add more flour, but alas it seems delicious. It’s gone in a day;(
Florentina
April 5, 2017 at 12:04 pmHi Lori, Ciabatta is usually kind of a flat bread, If you think it was out of the ordinary flat maybe the yeast was not at its prime…Or try a 1/4 tsp extra next time. Hope that helps! ~ Florentina
Ashley
May 23, 2017 at 8:36 amThank you for sharing such a delicious ciabatta recipe! It is by far the best I have made.
Your blog is wonderful, and I greatly enjoy all that you share. My husband and I are eating much better, to say the least!
Florentina
May 23, 2017 at 11:46 amThank you so much Ashley, you totally made my day Xo’s ~ Florentina
Nyla
July 25, 2017 at 5:13 pmHi, I am making this bread right now, but the dough is so soft I could not shape or touch it at all. It’s ready to go in the oven but I can’t do one at a time because if I touch them they start to turn into blobs so I can’t even move them off the parchment paper. I followed your recipe to the letter, but I’m not sure wht went wrong, any suggestions?
Florentina
July 25, 2017 at 7:55 pmHi Nyla, this is kind of a sticky dough which is ok. You can transfer the bread dough into the oven with the parchment paper. Remember to also add a dish with water in the bottom of the oven if you want to get a crispy crust. Hope that helps.
Tiffany
August 24, 2017 at 5:55 amI’m unsure of what you mean by “form two long loaves” so am I rolling out how is that done??
Florentina
August 24, 2017 at 10:30 amHi Tiffany, take a look at this video for Crusty Bread, you’ll basically fold the dough onto itself into a round or a long loaf. Hope this helps: https://ciaoflorentina.com/rustic-crusty-bread-recipe/
Maria
September 7, 2017 at 11:30 amThis is a really great Bread, if you really want it to become crusty you have to add a dish with water for steam in the oven. It will still be a good Bread if you don’t but it won’t be crusty, so just keep that in mind when making this recipe. A keeper for us. Thank you for sharing.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet
September 8, 2017 at 11:03 pmThat bread looks like absolute perfection – the texture…WOW!
carrie @ frugal foodie mama
September 9, 2017 at 6:49 amOh yum! I love a good loaf of ciabbata, but have never tried making my own before. 🙂
Amy @ Little Dairy on the Prairie
September 12, 2017 at 7:20 pmWow! This looks so good! I can just smell it baking!
Anjali
November 19, 2017 at 8:24 amHi can I make it with all purpose flour instead of bread flour
Florentina
November 19, 2017 at 9:38 amSure!
Sam Sgro
November 21, 2017 at 7:53 amTried the recipe and it turned out great. A nice airy crusty ciabatta. I’m going to try baking it in a deep cast iron pot to see if I could get a thicker bread with the same airy consistency. Not sure if this will work, but a fun experiment.
Thanks,
Sam
Florentina
November 21, 2017 at 4:45 pmSo glad to hear Sam! Let me know how it goes with the cast iron 🙂
Carol
December 12, 2017 at 5:01 pmHi, I was wondering how your bread turned out cooked in the cast iron pot. Sure would appreciate your comments.
Thanks, Carol
Glynnis
January 23, 2018 at 6:40 amNot this particular recipe but I freeze baked Ciabatta and reheat from frozen for 10 minutes at 200C.
Donna Siech
January 23, 2018 at 8:57 amI have a cast iron griddle for my stovetop. Can I use it instead of a stone?
Florentina
January 25, 2018 at 2:04 pmYes you can!
Gary paxton
March 12, 2018 at 8:38 amI drizzled some honey on top of the bread once it came out of the oven. Both loaves were quickly gobbled up. Going to add honey to the mixture the next time I make this (today).
Erin
March 30, 2018 at 8:17 pmHey, the bread tasted good. But, mine did not have any holes in it. Did i use too much flour?
Florentina
April 6, 2018 at 5:57 pmSounds like you overworked the dough and maybe added too much flour as well. It is a sticky dough 🙂
Vilma
September 4, 2018 at 5:55 pmIt turned out so good. Didnt get the same look on the outside but inside was perfect. Crust is nice and crunchy. Inside so soft.