Easy Ciabatta Rolls
The first batch I ever baked came out pale blond, and I pulled it anyway because the timer said so. Soft crust. Kind of sad by the next morning. Now I leave the rolls in until the tops go deep golden with a few dark freckles, even when it feels a few minutes too long, and the crust actually crackles when you squeeze one.
The dough is wet, honestly closer to thick batter than to anything you’d knead. Don’t add flour to fix it. Wet hands and three rounds of stretch-and-fold do the job a mixer would, and that’s where the big, uneven holes come from. I cut the rolls with a bench scraper and barely touch them after that. Last night’s batch went to leftover roast beef and gravy, split open and piled high.
These easy ciabatta rolls are a same-day bake: start them after lunch and slice them for dinner. No starter, no stand mixer. A metal pan of ice cubes on the bottom rack handles the steam, and the tops stay dusted with flour. They keep two days in a paper bag and freeze for up to three months.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Stir the bread flour and salt together in a large bowl, then press a deep well into the center.3 cups bread flour, 2 tsp kosher salt
- Pour the warm water and olive oil into the well. Sprinkle the yeast over the water and the sugar over the yeast, then leave it alone for 5 minutes, until the surface looks foamy.1 1/3 cups warm water, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp active dry yeast, 1 tsp granulated sugar
- Stir with a spatula or wet hand until no dry flour is left anywhere in the bowl. The dough will be very sticky and loose; don't add more flour. Cover the bowl tightly.
- Every 30 minutes, wet your hand, grab the dough at one edge, stretch it up and fold it over the top. Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat all the way around. Do 3 rounds in total, covering the bowl between each one.
- After the third round, cover the bowl and let the dough rise at room temperature for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until it has doubled and the surface is dotted with bubbles.
- Dust the counter generously with flour and tip the dough out gently. Dust the top too, then nudge it into a rough rectangle with your fingertips without pressing out the air. Cut it in half lengthwise with a bench scraper, then cut each strip into 4 pieces to make 8 rolls.2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and dust it with flour. Move the rolls onto it, stretching each one slightly into an even oblong as you go. Cover with a towel and rest for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, set a rimmed metal pan on the bottom rack and heat the oven to 425°F.
- Tip about 2 cups of ice cubes into the hot pan on the bottom rack, slide the rolls onto the center rack and shut the door fast. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes without opening the oven, until the tops are deep golden with darker spots.
- Transfer the rolls to a wire rack and let them cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing, so the crumb can set.
Nutrition
Notes
Bread flour gives the chewiest crumb; all-purpose works, but the rolls spread a little flatter. Use a metal pan for the ice, never glass, since the sudden steam can crack it.
You might also like our Authentic French Beef Bourguignon.
made these sunday for french dip sandwiches. the dough was so wet i almost added flour but didnt and im glad, the holes were huge. left them in the full 25 min and the crust crackled just like you said
good flavor and a nice chew. mine came out flatter than yours tho, i think i handled them too much moving them to the pan. next time i’ll cut them right on the parchment
the ice cube trick works. used an old metal brownie pan on the bottom rack. froze half the batch and reheated at 350 for 10 min, tasted fresh baked