Seeded Sourdough Ciabatta

This incredible seeded sourdough ciabatta recipe of seeded sourdough ciabatta was posted by talented Chiew See on her YouTube channel.

Super light ciabatta with yummy seeds will become one of your favorite breads.

Sourdough Starter (night before)

• 5g sourdough starter
• 35g water
• 30g all purpose flour or bread flour
• 5g rye flour

I always feed starter with 90% all purpose flour and 10% rye. Which makes it nice and strong.

Please note, summertime ratio for overnight feeding is higher (1:10:10) compared to wintertime (1:7:7), because of the temperature difference. Depending on the strength of the starter, you can change the ratio.

Learn how to make starter from scratch here.

Ingredients

Soaker

Night before

• 40g seeds of your choice ( flaxseed, sesame seeds or any other)
• 40g water

Main Dough

• 60g sourdough starter (20%)
• 270g  bread flour (90%)
• 30g whole grain whole wheat flour (10%)
• 240 water (80%)
• 6g olive oil (2%)
• 6g salt (2%)
• All seed soaker

A detailed Ciabatta Course with videos and instructions is available here.

Directions 

Starter preparation step

Night before

• 10 pm add starter to the water and whisk together, add flour, mix well, cover loosely, let sit at room temp 70-75F till next morning until it reaches the peak (10-12 hours), it should at least double (starter isn’t strong enough), or triple in size(strong starter).

Soaker preparation step

Night before

• 10 pm Toast seeds on low heat for 3-5 min, cover with water, let soak overnight.

Ciabatta dough preparation steps

Next morning

• 8 am mix water with flour, using spoon, cover, let rest 1 hour for autolyse (during the autolyse stage flour absorbs water, becoming fully hydrated. This activates gluten development).
• 9 am add sourdough starter salt.Mix on low speed of your mixing machine for 2-3 minutes, or KitchenAid on speed 3 for 2-3 minutes until well incorporated. Cover, let rest 30 min.
• 9:30 am add salt.  Mix until well incorporated 1-2 minutes. Add olive oil, continue mixing for 3-7 minutes, until dough will come up together .
• Oil the container with olive oil, transfer the dough into the container, close the lid. 
• Leave to rest for 30 minutes at 74-78F /23-26C.
• 10:00 am spray table with water, wet  hands dump the dough on the table and perform lamination, by stretching the dough as thin as possible without ripping it. Spread soaked seeds all over the surface. Fold the dough and let rest 1 hour covered.
• 11 am 1st stretch and fold.
• 11:45 am 2nd stretch and fold.
• 12:30 pm 3rd stretch and fold.
• 1:15 pm 4rd stretch and fold
• Performing stretches and folds will help to continue gluten development.
• After the final stretch let the dough rest for 15 minutes. You should see some bubbles on the surface, the dough has to become lighter. We are looking for 50% rise.

Ciabatta preshaping and shaping steps

Next day

• Remove the dough from the fridge. 
• Generously sprinkle with flour table and dough, turn container on the floured surface. 
• Using the of scraper divide the dough in 2 equal parts,  try yo stretch them into a rectangular.Sprinkle more flour all around ciabattas.
• Now transfer each shaped dough onto a proofing couche. Cover ciabattas with kitchen towel. Let them proof for 1 hour and 30 min.
• 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 for 1 hour.

Enjoy!

Seeded Sourdough Ciabatta

759kcal

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Prep 30 minutes mins

Cook 25 minutes mins

Total 17 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

This incredible, super-light Seeded Sourdough Ciabatta recipe features an exceptionally open, airy interior crumb packed with nutty, toasted seeds. The high-hydration dough uses a stretch-and-fold lamination technique to trap pockets of air, giving you that classic, rustic Italian bakery profile.

Servings 2 loaves

Cuisine Italian

Ingredients

1x2x3x

The Sourdough Starter Levain (Night Before)

• ▢ 5 g Sourdough starter culture
• ▢ 35 g Water
• ▢ 30 g All-purpose flour (or bread flour)
• ▢ 5 g Rye flour

The Overnight Seed Soaker

• ▢ 40 g Seeds of your choice (Flaxseed, sesame, sunflower, or pumpkin seeds)
• ▢ 40 g Water

The High-Hydration Main Dough

• ▢ 270 g Bread flour (90%)
• ▢ 30 g Whole grain whole wheat flour (10%)
• ▢ 240 g Water (80%)
• ▢ 60 g Active sourdough starter levain (20% – From the stage above)
• ▢ 6 g Olive oil (2%)
• ▢ 6 g Salt (2%)
• ▢ All of the prepared seed soaker

Equipment

• ▢
  Large Mixing Bowl or airtight dough container
• ▢
  (Optional, can be mixed by hand) Stand Mixer
• ▢
  Proofing Couche or a heavy canvas kitchen towel
• ▢
  Dough Scraper & Bench Knife
• ▢
  Baking Stone
• ▢
  (For creating steam on the bottom rack) Heavy Iron Tray
• ▢
  Kitchen Scale

Method

Prevent Sleep ModePrevent Sleep Mode

Night Before – Levain Setup & Seed Toasting

1. 10:00 PM: In a clean glass jar, dissolve your 5g of starter culture into 35g of water. Add 30g of all-purpose flour and 5g of rye flour. Mix thoroughly, cover loosely, and let it ferment at room temperature 70–75°F (21–24°C) overnight for 10 to 12 hours until it triples in size.
2. In a small skillet over low heat, toast your 40g of seeds for 3 to 5 minutes until incredibly fragrant. Transfer them to a small dish, cover with 40g of water, and leave to soak overnight.

Day 2 – Autolyse, High-Hydration Mixing, and Lamination

1. 8:00 AM – The Autolyse: In a large bowl, mix the 270g of bread flour, 30g of whole wheat flour, and 240g of water together with a spoon until no dry flour patches remain. Cover and let autolyse undisturbed for 1 hour.
2. 9:00 AM: Add 60g of your active overnight starter to the autolysed dough mass. Mix on the low speed of your machine for 2 to 3 minutes (or on a KitchenAid mixer on speed 3) until fully incorporated. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
3. 9:30 AM: Add the 6g of salt and 6g of olive oil directly to the bowl. Mix on medium speed for 3 to 7 minutes until the wet dough strengthens, builds elasticity, and pulls away cleanly from the bottom of the bowl.
4. Lightly oil a clear plastic dough container with olive oil and transfer the dough inside. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes at 74–78°F (23–26°C).
5. 10:00 AM – Lamination & Seed Inclusions: Spray your workspace lightly with water and wet your hands. Tip the wet dough out and gently stretch it from the center outward as thin as possible without ripping it. Spread your soaked seeds evenly across the entire sheet of dough, fold it up neatly into a tight compact bundle, and return it to the container. Let rest covered for 1 hour.
6. 11:00 AM: Perform your 1st stretch and fold. Pull the edges of the dough up high and fold them over the center to build structure. Rest 45 minutes.
7. 11:45 AM: Perform your 2nd stretch and fold. Rest 45 minutes.
8. 12:30 PM: Perform your 3rd stretch and fold. Rest 45 minutes.
9. 1:15 PM: Perform your 4th stretch and fold. Let the dough rest undisturbed for 15 minutes. You should see a 50% rise in total volume and visible air bubbles on the surface.

Preshaping, Couch Proofing, and Ice-Cube Steam Bake

1. 1:30 PM – Precision Division: Generously sprinkle your counter and the top of the dough with flour. Turn the container upside down to let the wet dough slide out naturally.
2. Using a bench scraper, divide the dough cleanly down the middle into 2 equal rectangular pieces. Dust more flour all around the sides.
3. Transfer each piece carefully onto a well-floured proofing couche or towel, bunching the fabric up between them to create supporting walls. Cover with a kitchen towel and let proof for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Poke Test: Give the dough a gentle poke; if your finger leaves a small indentation that springs back slowly, it is ready to bake.
4. Meanwhile, place a baking stone on the middle rack of your oven and an empty iron tray on the bottom rack. Preheat thoroughly to 500°F (260°C) for 1 full hour.
5. The Flip and Launch: Flip the proofed ciabattas gently onto a sheet of parchment paper so the floured bottom side is now facing upward. Gather 10 ice cubes.
6. Transfer the ciabattas on the parchment directly onto the hot baking stone, immediately dump the ice cubes into the iron tray below to create a massive burst of steam, and shut the oven door. Bake with steam at 500°F (260°C) for exactly 10 minutes.
7. Lower the temperature to 475°F (246°C), carefully remove the steam tray, and continue baking bare for an additional 15 minutes until the crust turns deep golden and crispy. Let cool for 1 hour before slicing.

Nutrition

Calories759kcalCarbohydrates124gProtein27gFat16gSaturated Fat2gPolyunsaturated Fat2gMonounsaturated Fat2gCholesterol5mgSodium222mgPotassium259mgFiber7gSugar1gVitamin A8IUVitamin C0.1mgCalcium38mgIron3mg

Notes

• Why the Seed Soaker is Non-Negotiable: Raw seeds are highly absorbent and acts like dry sponges. If you add toasted seeds straight into a high-hydration dough without soaking them first, they will continuously drain moisture out of the flour matrix, leaving you with a dry, tight, and dense bread. Pre-soaking them in equal weights of water overnight guarantees your Seeded Ciabatta retains its signature 80% wet hydration and open pocket structure.
• The Magic of the Post-Proof Flip: Right before launching your loaves into the hot oven, you must flip them upside down onto your parchment paper. This traditional step redistributes the large, expanding carbon dioxide gas bubbles that floated to the top during the couch proof, ensuring an evenly open interior crumb instead of one giant hollow pocket at the top.
• Why Ice Cubes are Used for Steam: Dumping a handful of ice cubes onto a screaming hot iron tray creates a sustained release of thick steam as the ice melts. This moisture condenses perfectly onto the raw dough, keeping the outer starches pliable so the bread can experience maximum oven spring before setting into a beautifully thin, crispy, and blistered crust.
• Handling Wet 80% Hydration Dough: Beginners are often intimidated by how fluid and sticky an 80% hydration dough feels. Resist the urge to work extra raw flour into the dough during the mixing stages. Trust the 4 separate rounds of stretch-and-folds and the wet-counter lamination—these movements steadily build a remarkably strong, elastic gluten network that holds its shape perfectly.

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