All you need is a few hours and these ciabatta rolls! They are light and airy on the inside with a chewy crumb and a golden crust dusted with flour.
Making fresh homemade bread recipes is easier than you think whether it’s French bread, Artisan bread or my favorite homemade bread recipe.
Table of Contents
Ciabatta Bread Rolls
When I don’t have time to make sourdough I love making homemade ciabatta rolls! They only take about 3 hours from start to finish, are ready within the same day like my dinner rolls and have a light and airy texture from a stretching and folding technique.
Why This Recipe Works
- Simple, basic ingredients: With only 4 simple ingredients plus water, you can make these Italian bread rolls. You may already have what you need in your pantry!
- Ready in 3 hours: This ciabatta bread uses an easy coil folding technique for gluten development; resulting in rustic bread rolls with an open crumb and tender texture.
Recipe Ingredients
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Flour: All-purpose flour is best to use.
- Yeast: Instant yeast is my preference although active dry yeast could be used.
- Olive oil: Extra virgin olive oil will add robust flavor as well as help increase the doughs softness and elasticity.
- Salt: Fine sea salt adds taste to the rolls .
- Water: Warm water that is 85°F. Use an instant read thermometer to gauge accuracy.
How to Make Ciabatta Rolls
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and yeast. Make a well in the middle of the ingredients, then add 1 1/2 cups warm water and 2 Tablespoons oil. Mix dough until it forms a ball, scraping down sides of the bowl as necessary.
Cover bowl with a towel and then place in a the warm oven for bulk fermentation. Over the next hour, stretch and fold the dough every 15 minutes. After the last stretch, cover dough with a tea towel and leave the dough in a slightly warm oven for one hour.
After an hour, turn the bowl of ciabatta bread dough upside onto a floured surface. Use a fingertip touch to lightly press dough into a rectangle about 1-inch thick then dust the top with flour. Use a bench scraper to cut dough into 9 ciabatta bun pieces. Place on the baking sheet then cover with a towel and rest for 30 minutes.
Bake at 450°F for 15-17 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Cool completely before slicing.
Tips and Variations
- Effect of temperature on the dough rising: I love to use my oven for a controlled environment when the dough is rising. Optimally, you want your rolls to rise at room temperature which is around 70-75°F.
- Be gentle: We are stretching and folding the dough to allow it to both gain strength and incorporate air into it. When it comes time to shape the dough, use very gentle pressure so you don’t knock the air out of the dough!
- Crackly crust: If you love the look of rustic ciabatta bread add steam to the oven by placing a baking pan with water on the bottom rack of the oven. They won’t be quite as crusty as French bread rolls, but the crust will be more crispier than soft.
- Add some herbs: Add some fresh herbs like basil, chives or parsley or try dried herbs like Italian seasoning, thyme or oregano!
- How to serve ciabatta rolls. These are delicious dipped in olive oil or spread with your favorite jam. They make excellent sandwich bread or served alongside soup.
Storing
- Storage: Wrap bread rolls in foil and keep at room temperature for up to two days. Do not refrigerate.
- Freeze: To avoid freeze burn, wrap each roll individually in plastic wrap then place in an airtight freezer bag for 2-3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature before reheating.
- To Reheat: Keep wrapped in foil and place in a 450°F oven for 6 to 8 minutes.
More bread roll recipes to try include Hawaiian rolls, Texas Roadhouse rolls and potato rolls.
More Homemade Bread Recipes
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Ciabatta Rolls
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Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups (450 g) all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 ½ cups warm water (85°F)
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Make dough. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 3 1/2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons salt, and 2 teaspoons yeast. Make a well in the middle of the ingredients and add 1 1/2 cups warm water and 2 Tablespoons oil. Mix the dough until it forms a ball, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- First rise with stretch and folds. Warm your oven to 100°F and then turn it off. Cover your bowl with a towel and then place in the warm oven (make sure it's off). Stretch and fold the dough every 15 minutes for one hour. Leave the dough in the oven (covered) for one more hour or until doubled after after the last stretch.
- Shape dough. Dust the counter with some flour. Turn the bowl of dough upside onto the counter. Gently press the dough into a rectangle about 1-inch thick and lightly dust the top with flour. Use a bench scraper to cut dough into 9 pieces and then place on the baking sheet. Don't worry about it being perfect.
- Preheat oven. Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Second rise. Cover baking sheet with clean towel and let sit for 30 minutes while oven gets hot.
- Bake. Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Let cool before slicing.
Notes
- Storage – The bread can be kept at room temperature, wrapped in foil, for 2 days.
- To Reheat the Bread – Keep it wrapped in foil and place in a 450-degree oven for 6 to 8 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Recipe FAQs
Yes, as both of these types of commercial yeast are the same thing (as opposed to a sourdough starter which is a wild yeast). You will need about 25% more yeast when using active yeast, or about 1/4 teaspoon more, equivalent to one packet of yeast.
One more thing to note, is you will need to proof the yeast. Dissolve the active yeast into the warm water and then give it a stir before adding it to the dough.
Yes, but not until after the last fold. After the last fold, place dough immediately in the fridge for a long rise time. The next day proceed with the recipe as directed.
If your dough seems too wet, don’t do anything, this is a very wet dough and it should come together during the stretching and folding process. If it still seems to wet after the 2nd fold and is tearing vs. stretching, add just a tiny amount of flour. But I would try to avoid this is possible.
If the dough seems dry, wet your hands during the mixing and folding of the dough but avoid just adding more water directly into the dough. Your dough should not feel dry if you have followed the directions.
I recommended having a bench scraper as this is a high hydration dough and can be sticky. This can help transfer the dough gently from the bowl to the counter.
Categorized as: Bread, Italian, Nut-Free, Thanksgiving, Yeast Bread
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
These rolls were delicious and so much better than any I could find in a store.
I love that this recipe is easy & not complex at all! Ciabatta rolls are so good & great for so many things!
Mine came out so chewy and delicious I’ll never buy store-bought again!
Tastes better than the store! Our family loves these.
So happy to hear, thanks for the review!