Ciabatta

ByNatalya Syanova
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Earlier I shared a couple of recipes of sourdough ciabatta, but today, I would like to introduce to you a very simple recipe of ciabatta made with yeast.

It is a one day preparation ciabatta, with one simple step of making biga (preferment) a night before.

This ciabatta develops a beautifully airy crumb and thin, crisp crust while keeping the process approachable and beginner-friendly. The overnight biga adds wonderful flavor, structure, and lightness to the dough without requiring complicated techniques or long fermentation schedules. Fresh from the oven, the bread is perfect for sandwiches, dipping into olive oil, or simply enjoying warm with butter.

If you are ready, let’s go.

Ready in: 4-5 hoursServes: 8-10 people
Yield:  2 x 450g ciabattasUnits: US, E

Ingredients 

Biga (preferment)

Main Dough

Directions 

Night before:

Biga preparation step

  • 5 pm in container add yeast to water, add flour, whisk all together, form as uneven ball, cover the lid, let the biga ferment at room temp till next morning.

Next morning:

Ciabatta dough preparation steps

  • 9 am By this time biga has to double or more in volume and have a loose structure.
  • Mix water, all biga, dry instant yeast, salt and all flour. Mix on low speed of your mixing machine for 2-3 minutes, or KitchenAid on speed 3 for 5-6 minutes until well incorporated. Add extra water little by little. The process of adding extra water is called bassinage, it helps to tighten up gluten. The dough has to come up together and become smooth.
  • Oil the container with olive oil, transfer the dough into the square or rectangular container, close the lid. 
  • Leave to rest for 30 minutes at 78-82F /26-28C.
  • 9:30 am wet your hands and perform 1st stretch and fold.
  • 10 am 2nd stretch and fold.
  • 10:30 am 3rd stretch and fold.
  • 11 am 4th stretch and fold and let the dough rest for 30-45 min.

By this time dough has to increase by 100% in volume (double).

Note: if the volume of the dough didn’t reach 100% mark, let the dough ferment longer.

Ciabatta preshaping and shaping steps

  • Generously sprinkle with flour table and dough, turn container on the floured surface. 
  • Fold the dough in half (flourless parts one to each other).
  • Using the scraper divide the dough in 2 equal parts. Sprinkle more flour o top and all around ciabattas.
  • Now transfer each shaped dough onto a proofing couche. Cover ciabattas with kitchen towel. Let them proof for 30min to 1 hour.
  • Perform poke test to check the readiness. Give the dough a gentle but assertive poke. If the dough springs back right away, let it rise for a few more minutes. If the dough springs back slowly, like it’s waking up from a long nap, and your poke leaves a small indentation, it’s ready to go.
  • During proofing time start to preheat oven 500F with baking stone inside and iron tray on the bottom rack for 1 hour.
  • When the oven is hot and ciabattas are proofed enough, flip them over on a parchment paper( bottom side should be on the top, and top part should be on the bottom.
  • Prepare 10 ice cubes.
  • Act fast, open the oven, transfer ciabattas on to the baking stone, dump the ice cubes into the tray and put it on the bottom rack, close the oven door.
  • Bake for 10 minutes.
  • Lower the temperature to 475F, open the oven door, remove the tray with excess water. Bake for 15 more minutes.
  • Let your ciabattas cool down.

And enjoy!

Ciabatta

High-Hydration Yeast Ciabatta

1844kcal
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Prep 35 minutes
Cook 25 minutes
Rise & Rest Time 19 hours 45 minutes
Total 20 hours 45 minutes
A wonderfully approachable, one-day artisanal ciabatta that develops an incredibly airy honeycomb crumb and a shatteringly thin, crisp crust. By pairing an effortless overnight biga preferment with a modern mechanical bassinage water-incorporation method, this beginner-friendly recipe builds supreme gluten strength and flavor without complex handling.
Servings 2 loaves
Cuisine Italian

Ingredients

Biga (Preferment – Prepare Night Before)
The Main Dough (Next Morning)

Equipment

Method

Biga Preparation (Night Before)
  1. 5:00 PM: In a medium square container, dissolve the 0.2g of dry instant yeast into 90g of water. Add the 150g of bread flour and whisk everything together until it forms an uneven, shaggy ball. Seal the container tightly with its lid and let the preferment develop at room temperature overnight until the next morning.
Bassinage Mixing and Structural Folds (Day 2)
  1. 9:00 AM: Look inside the container; the biga should have more than doubled in volume and display a highly relaxed, loose, and bubbly structure.
  2. In your stand mixer bowl, combine the initial 300g of water, all of the mature biga, 5g of dry instant yeast, 10g of salt, 315g of bread flour, and 35g of whole wheat flour.
  3. Mix on a low speed for 2 to 3 minutes (or speed 3 on a KitchenAid machine for 5 to 6 minutes) until the ingredients are well incorporated.
  4. Begin adding your 60g of reserved extra water very gradually, just a small splash at a time. This process is called bassinage. Do not add the next portion of water until the dough has fully absorbed the previous splash and wrapped itself back around the mixing hook. Mix until the dough pulls together smoothly.
  5. Lightly coat a rectangular container with olive oil and carefully transfer the wet dough inside. Close the lid tightly and let it rest for 30 minutes at 78–82°F (26–28°C).
  6. 9:30 AM: Wet your hands thoroughly with water to prevent sticking, and perform your 1st stretch-and-fold directly inside the container.
  7. 10:00 AM: Perform your 2nd wet-handed stretch-and-fold session.
  8. 10:30 AM: Perform your 3rd wet-handed stretch-and-fold session.
  9. 11:00 AM: Perform your 4th and final stretch-and-fold session. Close the lid and let the dough rest undisturbed for 30 to 45 minutes. By the end of this period, the dough must increase by 100% in volume (completely doubling). If it hasn’t expanded sufficiently, allow it to ferment slightly longer.
Prespaping, Flipping, and High-Heat Steam Baking
  1. Generously dust your clean work surface and the top of the puffed dough with flour. Gently invert the container to tip the high-hydration dough out onto the floured surface.
  2. Fold the dough cleanly in half, bringing the non-floured wet sections tightly against each other. Using a bench scraper, cut the dough cleanly down the middle into 2 equal loaves. Dust additional flour over the tops and all around the raw cut edges of the ciabattas.
  3. Carefully lift and transfer each shaped loaf onto a floured proofing couche. Cover the ciabattas with a kitchen towel and let them proof for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Perform a gentle poke test: if the indentation bounces back slowly and leaves a tiny dimple, it is ready.
  4. While the loaves are proofing, place your baking stone on the center oven rack and your empty iron tray on the bottom rack. Preheat the oven completely to 500°F (260°C) for a full hour. Prepare 10 standard ice cubes.
  5. Once the oven is piping hot, flip the proofed ciabatta loaves over directly onto a sheet of parchment paper so that the original bottom side is now facing upward on top.
  6. Working quickly, open the oven door and slide the parchment paper with the loaves onto the preheated baking stone. Immediately dump the 10 ice cubes straight into the hot bottom tray to create an intense cloud of steam, and quickly lock the oven door.
  7. Bake with steam at 500°F (260°C) for exactly 10 minutes. Lower the temperature to 475°F (245°C), open the oven door briefly to remove the tray with excess water, and bake dry for an additional 15 minutes. Let your ciabattas cool down completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Nutrition

Calories1844kcalCarbohydrates365gProtein69gFat9gSaturated Fat1gPolyunsaturated Fat4gMonounsaturated Fat1gCholesterol15mgSodium738mgPotassium788mgFiber16gSugar2gVitamin A26IUVitamin C0.4mgCalcium113mgIron6mg

Notes

  • How to Measure Micro-Doses of Yeast: This recipe calls for 0.2g of dry instant yeast for the overnight biga, which standard kitchen scales cannot accurately detect. To easily replicate this at home, weigh out exactly 1g of yeast onto a flat surface and use a razor blade or knife to divide the pile into four equal quarters (roughly 0.25g each). Use slightly less than one of those quarters for the biga, or simply use a scant half of a 1/8 teaspoon measuring spoon.
  • The Importance of Inverting Before Baking: Right before sliding the loaves into the oven, you must flip them completely over onto the parchment paper so the bottom side faces up. During the couche proof, the large, delicate gas pockets naturally float to the top of the dough. Flipping the loaf forces those bubbles to the bottom; as the intense oven heat hits them, they expand rapidly upward through the wet dough matrix to create the iconic open, honeycomb ciabatta interior.
  • Troubleshooting Wet and Soupy Dough: Because this dough features a very high hydration level, it will feel incredibly sloppy and wet compared to standard bread dough. Avoid adding raw flour early on! The combination of the overnight biga and the step-by-step bassinage water additions provides the gluten network with the time it needs to trap the moisture securely. If your dough still feels like a runny soup after all the folding stages, verify that your bread flour has a protein content of 12.7% or higher.
  • Baking Without a Baking Stone: If you do not own a specialized baking stone or baking steel, you can still achieve a fantastic results. Simply flip an ordinary heavy rimmed baking sheet pan upside down and place it on the middle rack of your oven to preheat for an hour. Slide your parchment paper and proofed ciabattas directly onto the hot underside of the inverted sheet pan to replicate the necessary bottom-heat spring.

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51 Comments

  2. Hi Natasha! This looks like such a fun project. I just want to confirm – Is there meant to be a 12 hour rest between the 3rd & 4th fold? Looking forward to making this!

    Reply

      1. My scale doesn’t measure it too.
        I weighed 1 g, divided in 4 parts, so each part would be around 0.25g
        And added little less than 0.25g into the dough.

    1. I have both a standard and a steam oven- while it’s a waste of electricity and gas to do both I like to experiment and I find that the steam oven produces a nice sheen on the rolls where the regular oven tends to look more artisanal and floured and does not reflect the light the same way- it’s a matter of preference it the answer is yes you can!

      Reply

  8. Hi
    I live in warmer temps,daytime can be 34°C and nighttime like 26°C
    Should I still make biga at room temp and shorten the time?
    I noticed that some people let it ferment at room temp for some time and then put in the fridge

    Reply

    1. Hi!
      In your case fermentation will go much faster. You can reduce the amount of yeast and still keep the biga at room temp

      Reply

    2. She replied to someone about this. She just said weigh one gram on the scale and divide that into 4 parts (0.25 g each) and add just a bit less than that. Hope this helps

      Reply

  15. My family loves this ciabatta so much that I am making it every week. So far I wasn’t disappointed by any of Natasha’s recipes, and I made many. Her instructions and pictures are so understandable.

    Reply

    1. Thank you so much for your positive feedback! I’m thrilled to hear that you enjoy the recipe and that it’s become a favorite for you. Your support means a lot, and I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts. Happy cooking!

      Reply

  18. I have found that I have to oil the Biga ball before the overnight rest or else it forms a crust on top that is hard to break down when incorporating into the rest of the ingredients the next morning. I would normally do this but didn’t see it in the instructions…is there a reason?

    Reply

    1. Thank you for sharing your experience with the Biga ball preparation. Oiling the Biga ball before the overnight rest is a great tip to prevent it from forming a crust. While it may not be explicitly mentioned in the instructions, feel free to continue oiling the Biga ball as you have found it to be helpful. Different techniques and variations can be used in bread making, so feel free to adapt the recipe to suit your preferences. Happy baking!

      Reply

  19. Hello, nice recipe, i’m making it as i’m writing this.

    I’m curious to which type of strech and fold you find the best.
    Regular stretch and fold when you pull the corners 90 degrees, and finish with a few folds, where you tuck the dough under itself
    or
    Coil-folds

    Reply

  20. Hello and thank you for sharing this great bread recipe. I baked a similar bread. I poured water in the tray, but it cooked within 12 minutes. Should I lower the grade?

    Reply

  22. Hi, if I add 300g water my dough is too sloppy, can it be the flour? I use white bread flour and 15g whole wheat flour.

    Reply

    1. Hi there! If your dough is turning out too sloppy when adding 300g of water, it’s possible that the hydration level is too high for the type of flour you are using. White bread flour typically requires less water compared to whole wheat flour due to differences in protein content and absorption rates. You may want to try reducing the amount of water slightly or adjusting the ratio of white bread flour to whole wheat flour in your recipe to achieve the desired consistency. Experimenting with different flour combinations and hydration

      Reply

  23. Hello I am confused about the following statement:

    “ Mix water, all biga, dry instant yeast, salt and all flour. Mix on low speed of your mixing machine for 2-3 minutes, or KitchenAid on speed 3 for 5-6 minutes until well incorporated. Add extra water little by little. The process of adding extra water is called bassinage, it helps to tighten up gluten. The dough has to come up together and become smooth.”

    What extra water are you referring to? Is there a specific amount of extra water?

    Reply

    1. This is a very hydrated dough to start with. I always have problems with these as it comes out soupy. The type of flour plays a role. We don’t have king arthur here so I tried different brands. Also the temperature plays a role. I still have not reached a large open crust after about 10 attempts but everyone loves the flavour. I make 4 loaves and the get eaten up quickly.

      Reply

  27. Hi
    I tried it and it is insane. Just wondering how to do it to be able to put them to the fridge overnight? Less yeast?

    Reply

  28. Hi Natasha. Not sure what you’re referring to when you say: “Fold the dough in half (flourless parts one to each other)”after dumping dough on the table. Won’t that deflate the dough?

    Reply

    1. I read all the comments trying to find a clarification for the same statement. Ni luck… i will have to pray now.

      Reply

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