Bakery-Style No-Knead Ciabatta Bread

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Hi Bold Bakers!

This ciabatta bread recipe is amazingly simple—there’s no kneading, and you don’t need a fancy stand mixer to make it—and it tastes like it just was baked fresh at your favorite bakery! 

I used to think ciabatta had to be made using my stand mixer because of the amount of liquid the recipes need, and it still took forever for the dough to form in the mixer. My homemade ciabatta bread recipe is WAAAY easier, and the results are amazing!! The ciabatta dough ferments overnight, which means that there are loads of bubbles and, since this recipe calls for bread flour, you get a perfect chew.

Check out my other no-knead bread recipes, too, like my bubbly focaccia pizza dough, cinnamon raisin bread, or whole wheat bread! 

What Is Ciabatta Bread?

Ciabatta bread is an Italian bread, not unlike a French baguette. Ciabatta is wonderfully chewy with a great crust — I love using ciabatta for sandwiches or garlic bread!

This recipe is fairly hands-off too, so it’s an excellent bread for first-time bread bakers! 

What You Need To Make Ciabatta Bread

• Measuring cups and spoons
• Mixing bowls
• Cling wrap and a kitchen towel
• 2 large baking sheets

How To Make Ciabatta Bread

This dough does need to ferment overnight, so you get all those lovely air bubbles, so be sure to start this the day before you plan to bake! Here is how you make bakery-style ciabatta bread:

1. In a large bowl, mix the flours, salt, and yeast.
2. In another jug, mix the water and oil. Add the wet ingredie3nts to the dry and mix to form a wet dough. Scrape the dough down and cover with cling wrap and a kitchen towel.
3. Allow the dough to ferment at room temperature for about 18 hours. 
4. The next day, line one baking sheet with a clean kitchen towel and dust it very liberally with flour. Line a second baking sheet with parchment paper.
5. Uncover and knock back the dough, then roll it into a ball.
6. Divide the dough into two pieces and place them side by side on the floured towel. Cover the loaves with the kitchen towel and let it proof for 2 hours.
7. Preheat your oven to 425°F (210°C). When the dough has risen, turn over each loaf and stretch it out to 16 inches. Then, carefully place it on the parchment-lined baking sheet. (Check out the video for a step-by-step guide on shaping the loaves!)
8. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes until the bread turns golden brown.

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips For Making Ciabatta Bread

• Use up any leftover ciabatta by making it into garlic bread!
• You can store the raw dough in the fridge for up to 2 days to let the flavor and texture develop. 
• Have any sourdough discard? Add it into the dough for extra flavor and more elastic dough.
• The bread freezes lovely. Slice it before you freeze so you can grab however much you want when you want some delicious toast! 
• You can use all-purpose flour for this recipe if you don’t have bread flour, but your bread won’t be as chewy. 
• Ciabatta is a very wet dough, so be sure to generously dust your kitchen towel with flour so it can be easily removed after proofing!

How Do I Store Ciabatta Bread?

Leftover ciabatta bread can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days, but I recommend freezing the second loaf you make. Slice it before you freeze so you can grab slices when you want! 

Make More Bread!

• Sourdough Starter Guide
• Perfectly Crusty Sourdough Loaf For Beginners
• No-Knead Whole Wheat Bread
• White Sandwich Bread
• Hearty No-Yeast Bread

And don’t forget to buy my Bigger Bolder Baking Cookbook!

Full (and printable) recipe below!

Try These Recipes!

Homemade Penne Pasta Recipe

Rigatoni Pasta recipe (How to Make Rigatoni Pasta)

Homemade Krispy Kreme Donuts Recipe

Olive Leaf Pasta Recipe (Foglie d’Ulivo)