Sourdough Ciabatta Bread

5 from 8 votes

By Healing Slice — February 5, 2023 (Updated November 14, 2024) — This post may contain affiliate links.

This sourdough ciabatta bread recipe is so easy and delicious, you may never want to eat your sandwich any other way! Ciabatta bread is known for having an airy and porous texture with the slightest crispy crust.

In this recipe, I give you the option to lower the hydration just a bit to make it more approachable, but it does not skimp out on ciabatta’s classic texture and flavor. All you need is 4 simple ingredients (flour, water, sourdough starter, & salt) and you’ve got yourself the best homemade, classic ciabatta bread!

What is sourdough ciabatta bread?

The word “ciabatta” means “slipper” in Italian, referring to the bread’s unique shape. Ciabatta is a type of Italian bread that is characterized by its oval shape and airy, porous texture. It is made with a mixture of flour, yeast, salt, and water, and is typically baked in a hot oven to produce a crisp crust. When baking it with a sourdough starter, it takes the place of the yeast. The long fermentation process gives this bread a deeper flavor profile, making it incredible!

Three ways to enjoy your sourdough ciabatta bread

Toasted with olive oil and balsamic vinegar: Toast slices of ciabatta bread and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper, and then drizzle with balsamic vinegar for a simple and delicious snack or appetizer.

As a sandwich: Use slices of ciabatta bread as the base for a hearty sandwich filled with your favorite ingredients.

With dips or spreads: Ciabatta bread makes an excellent addition to any dip or spread platter, as its large surface area provides plenty of room for dipping and its porous texture soaks up flavors beautifully. Serve it with hummus, pesto, or bruschetta topping.

Why you’ll love this recipe

Optional hydration. Typically, sourdough ciabatta bread recipes use 80% or higher hydration, but this one can be modified between 77% and 80%. This makes the dough easier to work with and less intimidating if desired.

Minimal prep work. The only prep work comes with mixing the dough and a few stretch and folds. Then place it in the refrigerator until ready to bake. You’ll find the steps straightforward & simple.

Minimal equipment. The only baking equipment required is a baking sheet and parchment paper. Nothing fancy is required!

Tips before baking:

Sourdough starter: For a successful rise, I recommend feeding your starter 8-12 hours before you plan to mix the dough. For instance, I feed my starter the evening before (7 PM) I plan to mix the dough. I will mix the dough at 7 AM the following morning. You want to use an active, bubbly starter.

Proofing container: After the dough has been mixed and 4 stretch and folds have been completed, I recommend placing the dough in a rectangular proofing container. This helps with accurately assessing the rise and also allows for easy shaping. I use this one, but any container around 8.5 cups will do. You want the dough to increase by 75-100% in volume.

Rise times: For the first bulk rise, it took mine about 6 hours to increase a bit more than 75% at 70 degrees F. You may need a few extra hours if it is cooler than this or you may need less time in a warmer environment. Watch the dough, not the clock.

How to make sourdough ciabatta bread: step-by-step

Ingredients & Equipment

500 grams of bread flour
100 grams active sourdough starter
10 grams salt
385-400 grams of water (see notes)
5 grams of EVOO (optional)
mixing bowl
rectangle proofing container
baking sheet
parchment paper
bench scraper
silicone scraper tool (not required, but handy)

Baker’s schedule: feed your sourdough starter the evening before you mix the dough. Mix the dough early in the morning (8 AM) to bake for the following day.

Hydration: This recipe can be done with 385 grams of water or up to 400 grams. You may want to start with 385 and then work your way up. Either way, the result will be lovely.

Mix the dough

In a mixing bowl, dissolve the sourdough starter in the water. Stir using a fork.

Then, add the flour, salt, and olive oil (if using), and mix until the flour has absorbed all the water. This is best achieved with a silicone spatula as the dough will be very wet.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Stretch & Folds

After the dough has rested, work the dough into a ball by folding it into itself a few times. *Tip: wet your hands to avoid the dough from sticking.

Then, perform your first stretch and fold. Take a portion of the dough, stretch it up a few inches, and fold it to the opposing side. Rotate the bowl and do this to all 4 quadrants of the dough. Once complete, cover the mixture.

Perform 3 more stretch and folds in 30-minute increments, totaling 4 stretch and folds.

Sourdough Ciabatta Bread - Stretch & Folds

Transfer the dough to the proofing container

After all 4 stretch and folds have been completed, transfer the dough to your rectangular proofing container. Anything around 8.5 cups will work.

Mark where the dough sits and cover the dough with plastic wrap.

Once the dough has increased by 75-100%, cover it and transfer it to the refrigerator for 8-36 hours.

For the dough to increase by 75%-100%, it can take anywhere from 5-8 hours depending on the temperature in your home.

ciabatta dough proofing — Transfer the dough to a rectangular proofing container and cover

ciabatta bread dough — Once the dough has increased by at least 75% in volume, cover, and place it in the refrigerator overnight

Shape the dough

The following morning, remove the dough from the refrigerator and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Additionally, spray a little non-stick oil on the parchment paper.

Liberally flour your work surface and the top of the dough. It is a sticky dough, so don’t be shy about using enough flour.

Using a silicone scraper tool or silicone spatula gently loosen the sides of the dough from the container.

Then, invert the container onto the work surface and allow the dough to naturally fall out.

floured work surface for ciabatta bread — Flour the dough and your work surface liberally

Sprinkle flour over the entire surface of the dough and gently pat the dough into a 14×9 rectangle.

Then, using a bench scraper cut the dough into 8 pieces. I draw lines down the dough using flour to help guide me on where to cut.

Place each piece of dough onto the baking sheet about an inch apart.

Sprinkle a little flour over each, cover with a damp towel, and let them rest for 1 hour.

Pat the dough into a 9x14 rectangle and cut into 8 pieces — Pat the dough into a 14×9 rectangle and cut into 8 pieces

Bake the sourdough ciabatta bread

When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 475 degrees F and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 450 degrees F and bake for 8-10 minutes more or until the bread starts to brown.

Remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool for 1 hour before cutting into it & enjoy!

More sourdough recipes to try:

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5 from 8 votes