Ciabatta Rolls

Lunch | Italian

Prep time: 2 min Cook time: 25 min Servings: 8

Ciabatta is made from a very high hydration dough, which is what gives it the open, irregular crumb inside and the thin, crisp crust. The dough is wetter than most bread doughs you might have worked with, and that means you don’t knead it in the traditional sense. Instead you build the gluten structure through a series of stretch and fold cycles over a few hours. It’s a more hands-off process than it sounds. I made these for the porchetta sandwich but they work with any filling, alongside soup, or just with good olive oil. Six ingredients total.

The 4-hour prep time looks long but the actual hands-on work is about 15 minutes. The rest is waiting. After the initial mix you do four rounds of stretch and fold with 20-minute rests in between, then a final rest, then shape and proof for 30 minutes before they go in the oven. If you want to spread the work over two days, the dough can go in the fridge after the stretch and fold is done and slow-prove overnight. It comes out with better flavour and you just shape and bake the next day.

Ingredient Notes

Bread flour: Bread flour has a higher protein content than plain or all-purpose flour, which means it develops more gluten when mixed with water. That gluten network is what gives ciabatta its structure and allows it to hold the open, airy crumb despite the high water content. You can substitute plain flour but the rolls will be noticeably denser and the crumb less open. Strong bread flour, sometimes labelled "baker's flour" in Australia, is what you want.

Dry yeast: This recipe uses active dry yeast dissolved in warm water. The water temperature matters: too cold and the yeast won’t activate, too hot (above about 40°C) and you’ll kill it. The recipe calls for 32°C, which is comfortably warm to the touch, like a warm bath. If you’re using instant or rapid-rise yeast you can add it directly to the flour without dissolving in water first, but reduce the quantity slightly as it’s more concentrated.

Olive oil: A small amount of olive oil goes into the dough and adds flavour as well as a little tenderness to the crumb. It also helps the dough release cleanly from the bowl during the stretch and fold process. Use a reasonable quality extra virgin olive oil here since it does contribute to the flavour of the finished roll. Nothing expensive, just not the bottom shelf.

Equipment

Kitchen scales
Large bowl
Tea towel or plastic wrap
2 large baking trays
Baking paper
Bench scraper or sharp knife
Wire rack

Ingredients

600g (4 cups) bread flour
475ml warm water (32°C/90°F)
12g (2½ tsp) cooking salt (kosher salt)
30ml olive oil
7g (2¼ tsp) dry yeast

Directions

Prep and proof dough
Place the yeast in a large bowl and mix in water until dissolved.
Add the flour and salt, then mix in the oil until just combined and the flour is hydrated.
Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Stretch and fold dough
Uncover the dough, then with a wet hand, stretch one corner of the dough and fold it over itself. Repeat 4 times until the dough is completely folded over itself.
Cover again with a tea towel and let it rest for another 20 minutes. Repeat this process three more times.
After the fourth and final round of stretching and folding, let the dough rest for 20 minutes.
Bake
Preheat the oven to 220°C (428°F).
Line 2 large baking trays with baking paper. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.
Gently stretch out the dough to an even thickness and lightly flour the top.
Cut into 8 rectangle portions and transfer to prepared trays, leaving space in between each one for rising and spreading.
Cover lightly with a tea towel and leave for 30 minutes to proof.
Uncover and bake the rolls for 20-25 minutes, until golden.
Transfer the rolls from tray to a wire rack to cool before slicing open

Recipe notes

Chef Tips

Don’t overwork the initial mix

When you first combine the flour, water, salt and oil, you’re only mixing until everything is hydrated and there are no dry patches of flour left. It will look rough and shaggy, not smooth. That’s correct. The gluten develops through the stretch and fold cycles, not through the initial mix. If you try to knead it smooth at this stage you’ll overwork the dough and make the process harder than it needs to be.

Wet your hands before each stretch and fold

This is a sticky, wet dough. Keep a small bowl of water next to the bench and dip your hands in it before each stretching session. Wet hands glide through the dough cleanly without tearing it, while dry hands will stick and make a mess. You’re also not looking for a completely smooth dough after each fold cycle. By the fourth round it should feel noticeably more elastic and hold its shape better, but it will still be soft.

Storage

These rolls are best eaten on the day they’re baked. After that store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. To refresh day-old rolls, sprinkle a little water on the crust and place in a 180°C (355°F) oven for 5 minutes. They can also be frozen once fully cooled. Wrap each roll individually and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature then refresh in the oven to bring the crust back.

FAQs

Can I make the dough ahead of time? Yes. After completing the stretch and fold rounds, cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate overnight instead of doing the final rest. The slow cold fermentation actually develops more flavour than a same-day prove. Take the dough out of the fridge about an hour before you want to shape it, let it come up to room temperature, then shape, proof for 30 minutes and bake as normal.

Can I use plain flour instead of bread flour? You can, but the result will be different. Plain flour has less protein so it builds less gluten, which means a denser crumb and less of that open, irregular texture that defines a good ciabatta. It’ll still taste fine as a bread roll, it just won’t have the same structure. Strong bread flour labelled "baker's flour" is the right choice if you can find it.

Can I freeze the baked rolls? Yes. Let them cool completely on a wire rack first, then wrap individually in plastic wrap or place in zip-lock bags and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature, then put them in a 180°C (355°F) oven for 5 minutes to bring the crust back. Don’t microwave them or the crust goes soft.