Sourdough Ciabatta

Name: Sourdough Ciabatta
Prep time: 31 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 56 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 3¾ cups (450 g) bread flour, plus about ¼ cup (30 g) extra for dusting the work surface; 1½ cups (350 ml) water, lukewarm, about 85°F (30°C); ½ cup (100 g) active sourdough starter (100% hydration), bubbly and recently risen to its peak; 1¾ tsp (10 g) fine sea salt; 1½ tbsp (20 g) extra-virgin olive oil, plus a little more for oiling the bowl; 2 tbsp (20 g) semolina flour, for dusting the parchment (or use extra bread flour)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A very wet, open-crumbed Italian loaf with a crisp, flour-dusted crust and a tangy, tender interior. A gentle stretch-and-fold method builds structure without kneading, and a little olive oil keeps the crumb soft.

Prep: 31 min
Cook: 25 min
Wait: 4 hr 45 min
Total: 5 hr 41 min
Makes: 2 loaves (about 10 × 4 inches / 25 × 10 cm each; 8 servings total)

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Ingredients

8 servings

3¾ cups (450 g) bread flour, plus about ¼ cup (30 g) extra for dusting the work surface
1½ cups (350 ml) water, lukewarm, about 85°F (30°C)
½ cup (100 g) active sourdough starter (100% hydration), bubbly and recently risen to its peak
1¾ tsp (10 g) fine sea salt
1½ tbsp (20 g) extra-virgin olive oil, plus a little more for oiling the bowl
2 tbsp (20 g) semolina flour, for dusting the parchment (or use extra bread flour)

Equipment (9)

Large mixing bowl or 4-quart (4 L) container with lid, preferably clear
Digital kitchen scale
Bench scraper
Rimmed baking sheet or baking stone/steel, about 13 × 18 inches (33 × 46 cm)
Parchment paper
Linen couche or clean, heavily floured kitchen towel
Metal baking pan or cast-iron skillet for steam (placed on the lowest oven rack)
Instant-read thermometer
Wire cooling rack

Steps

Before you start

Feed your starter 4–8 hours ahead (equal weights starter, flour and water) so it is bubbly and has at least doubled. Use it at its peak.
This dough is 80% hydration and very sticky. Keep a small bowl of water nearby to wet your hands, and don't add extra flour to the dough itself.
Plan about 5½–6 hours from mixing to bread. Your kitchen should be around 75–78°F (24–26°C); a cooler kitchen will need a longer bulk rise.
Start preheating the oven during the final proof (step 6) so the baking stone or sheet is fully hot.

1
Mix and rest flour
- In a large bowl or container, stir together the bread flour and lukewarm water with a wet hand or spatula until no dry flour remains and the mixture looks shaggy.
- Cover and let it rest.
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Ready when: No dry flour pockets; dough is a thick, shaggy batter
Tip: Use a clear container if possible so you can track the rise later.
2
Add starter, salt, oil
- Dollop the starter, salt and olive oil over the dough.
- With wet fingers, squeeze and pinch the dough for about 3 minutes, folding it over itself, until the starter and salt are fully worked in and the dough feels cohesive but still loose and sticky.
- Cover.
- Note the time: this is the start of the bulk rise.
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Ready when: No streaks of starter remain and the dough clings together as one mass
Tip: Wet your hands often; dry hands will glue themselves to this dough.
3
Stretch and fold series
- Do 4 sets of stretch and folds, 30 minutes apart (the first set is 30 minutes after step 2).
- For each set, wet your hand, grab one edge of the dough, stretch it up until it resists, and fold it over to the other side.
- Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat 3 more times (4 folds per set).
- Cover between sets.
- The dough will become smoother, stronger and puffier with each set.
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Ready when: By the fourth set the dough is smooth, elastic and holds a slightly domed shape
Tip: If the dough tears while stretching, stop and let it rest 10 more minutes.
4
Finish bulk rise
- Leave the dough, covered, undisturbed at 75–78°F (24–26°C) for another 90 minutes (about 3 hours of total bulk).
- It is ready when it has grown about 50–75% in volume, the surface is domed and jiggly, and you see bubbles along the edges and through the sides of the container.
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Ready when: Risen 50–75%, jiggly, with visible bubbles at the edges
Tip: In a cool kitchen this can take up to 1 hour longer; judge by the dough, not the clock.
5
Divide and shape
- Generously flour your work surface with bread flour (about ¼ cup/30 g) and dust the top of the dough.
- Use a wet or floured bench scraper to gently release the dough and turn it out without deflating it.
- Cut it in half to make two rough rectangles.
- For each piece, gently stretch to about 10 × 5 inches (25 × 12 cm), then fold it in thirds like a letter, tucking the ends under.
- Dust the top lightly.
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Ready when: Two slack, pillowy rectangles about 10 × 4 inches (25 × 10 cm)
Tip: Handle gently: the trapped bubbles are what give ciabatta its open crumb.
6
Final proof and preheatOven 475°F / 245°C
- Dust a sheet of parchment (or a couche) with semolina and lift each loaf onto it, seam side down, about 3 inches (8 cm) apart, using floured hands and the scraper.
- Cover loosely with a floured towel.
- Meanwhile, place the baking stone or an upside-down baking sheet on the middle oven rack and a metal pan on the bottom rack, and preheat the oven to 475°F (245°C) for at least 45 minutes.
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Ready when: Loaves look puffy and a floured fingertip leaves a dimple that springs back slowly
Tip: A well-preheated surface gives the best oven spring.
7
Bake with steamOven 475°F / 245°C
- Dimple the loaves lightly with floured fingertips, pressing without deflating them.
- Slide the parchment with loaves onto the hot stone or baking sheet.
- Carefully pour 1 cup (240 ml) of boiling water into the preheated pan on the bottom rack and close the door immediately.
- Bake at 475°F (245°C) for 25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway, until the crust is deep golden brown and the loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
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Ready when: Deep golden crust, hollow sound when tapped, internal temperature 205–210°F (96–99°C)
Tip: Wear oven mitts and stand back when adding boiling water; the steam is intense.
8
Cool completely
- Transfer the loaves to a wire rack and let cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing, so the crumb finishes setting and doesn't turn gummy.
- Brush off excess flour and serve.
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Ready when: Loaves feel just barely warm and the crust crackles when pressed
Tip: Use a serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion; for sandwiches, slice horizontally.

Good to know

Tips

Weigh ingredients on a scale; a few tablespoons of extra water or flour changes this very wet dough dramatically.
Don't skip the steam: it keeps the crust flexible so the loaves can expand fully before the crust sets.
Use a wet scraper and wet hands when handling dough, but floured hands and surfaces when shaping.
If the loaves spread flat, your starter may have been past its peak or the bulk rise ran too long; shorten it next time.

Make ahead

"After the stretch-and-fold series and 30 minutes of bulk rest, cover the dough and refrigerate for 8–14 hours. Shape straight from the fridge, then proof 45–60 minutes and bake as directed for a tangier flavor."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: 2 days in a paper bag or loosely wrapped in a clean towel (a sealed bag softens the crust). Fridge: not recommended, as it stales bread faster. Freezer: slice, wrap tightly and freeze up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen or day-old in a 375°F (190°C) oven for 8–10 minutes to re-crisp the crust."

Substitutions

bread flour → All-purpose flour. Absorbs less water; reduce water to about 310 ml (1⅓ cups) and expect a slightly less chewy, less open crumb.
semolina flour → Rice flour or extra bread flour. Rice flour prevents sticking best; extra bread flour works but may scorch slightly.
extra-virgin olive oil → Neutral oil such as avocado oil. Keeps the crumb soft but loses the fruity olive flavor.
bread flour → Replace 100 g (¾ cup) with whole wheat flour. Adds nuttiness; add 1–2 tablespoons more water since whole wheat is thirstier.