Small Batch Ciabatta Rolls
Published: November 26, 2023.
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These easy, no-knead Small Batch Ciabatta Rolls are light and fluffy with a crunchy crust. Beginner-friendly, they are the perfect sandwich base with a thin, crispy crust and an open, airy crumb!
Ciabatta is a flat, elongated rustic white bread created in Italy. It has a high water content, giving it a lighter, crispy texture that’s a little softer and less chewy than many artisan breads.
This foolproof no-knead recipe replaces the traditional labour-intensive kneading with quick and easy folding. The method is simple with everything mixed by hand. It also calls for an overnight cold proof for added depth of flavour.
I usually like to use higher protein bread flours, but for these airy rolls I prefer an unbleached all-purpose flour for a lighter, chewy crumb.
The secret to getting those perfectly crisp, crunchy crusts? Adding steam to the oven. This is done by placing a water-filled cast iron skillet in the bottom of the oven then pre-heating it to generate steam. The steam helps to keep the outer crust soft while the rolls achieve their fluffy, lofty rise.
The ciabattas are baked on a baking steel with plenty of steam in the oven, which gives the crust that crispy crunch. A pizza stone or baking sheet will also work with slightly different results.
These easy, small batch ciabattas are delicious simply dipped in olive oil, perfect for making homemade garlic bread or delicious toasts and an amazing base for sandwiches through the week!
Easy, No-Knead Small Batch Ciabatta Rolls
Makes 4 servings.
* If pressed for time, see notes below to make these rolls in 4 hours.
Ingredients:
2½ cups (350 grams) bread or all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups (315 grams) water
1 teaspoon (3 grams) kosher or fine sea salt
1 teaspoon (3 grams) active dry yeast
2¼ teaspoons (10 grams) extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions:
Make the dough
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add water and yeast and let rest for 5 minutes. Add salt, olive oil and flour and mix until all the flour has been absorbed. Note that this is a hydration dough, and it will be sticky and wet to the touch. Transfer dough to an 8x8-inch glass covered baking dish (or similar), cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
With damp hands, perform 1 set of stretch and folds* and let rest for another 30 minutes.
Next, with damp hands perform 2-3 coil folds and let rest for 30 minutes between each fold.
Cover and place in the fridge overnight for at least 12 hours or as long as 18 hours.
* I’ve included notes below in case folding is new to you.
Shape the rolls
Once ready to bake, prepare lightly floured parchment sheet and turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface. Sprinkle more flour across the top then flour your hands or a bench scraper and scooch the edges of the dough into the shape of a rectangle.
Using a bench scraper or a sharp knife, divide the dough into 4 equal portions then gently lift and transfer them onto the parchment, spacing them a few inches apart. Cover with a dry tea towel and let rest for 2 hours for a final proof or until they’ve doubled in size.
Bake ciabatta
Fill a cast iron skillet or baking pan with 3 cups water and place it in the bottom of your oven. Preheat oven to 450ºF (230ºC).
If using a baking steel, use a pizza peel or the back of a baking sheet to slide the parchment paper with the ciabatta rolls onto the baking steel.
Bake for 22-24 minutes until golden. You will know the bread is done when it sounds hollow if you tap on the bottom. Let cool completely before slicing and serve.
I use this dough scraper and this glass covered dough proofing dish for this recipe.
Notes:
Dough hydration: As noted above this is a wet, high-hydration dough, a variation of my artisan bread and pizza dough recipes. I prefer the fuller taste and complex structure of high hydration doughs. The key to handling it when performing your folds is to wet your hands with lukewarm water and even repeating this step 2-3 times if necessary as you work with the dough. You don’t want to use too much water as it will alter the hydration of the dough. Simply wet them then shake off any excess water. Taken altogether, the fold sets, extended fermentation and cold proof before baking all work to strengthen your dough. Lastly, using parchment for baking will counter any residual stickiness should you have any difficulty.
Stretch and folds: Stretching and folding creates 4 new layers in the dough with each set. I like to use this process first, early in the bulk fermentation stage. To perform the stretch and fold, leave the dough in its proofing container and with a damp hand pick up one corner of the dough. Pull it outward then fold it back over the top, gently pressing it down into the centre with your fingers. Turn the proofing container 90 degrees and repeat 3 more times until each side of the dough has been stretched and folded, with the seam facing up.
Coil folds: Coil folding is a gentler method of handling the dough and focuses more on the fold than the stretch. It helps to prevent over-stretching and over-working what is now a partially fermented dough and produces a more even distribution of tension and gases without risking degassing. Similar to a stretch and fold, coil folds should be performed on the dough without removing it from its proofing container. To perform a coil fold, with damp hands pick up the dough from the middle with both hands and lift, allowing it to stretch until one end releases from the proofing container. Then lower the dough to tuck the loose end under the middle and repeat this process for the other end. Rotate the container 90 degrees and repeat the process until the dough holds its shape (from 4 to 6 times).
To make same-day ciabattas: This recipe can be used to make ciabatta in 4 hours. The crumb and overall texture will vary a little, but they will still be delicious. Once the dough is mixed, cover and let rise for 60 minutes. Perform 3 sets of stretch and folds at 30-minute intervals for a total rise time of 2.5 hours. By this time the dough will have doubled in size and have nice, bubbly air pockets throughout. Once ready to bake, prepare lightly floured parchment and turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface. Sprinkle more flour across the top then flour your hands or bench scraper and scooch the edges of the dough into the shape of a rectangle. Using a bench scraper or sharp knife, divide dough into 4 equal portions then gently lift and transfer them onto the parchment, spacing them a few inches apart. Let rest for 30 minutes while the oven is pre-heating and bake as above.
Storage: These rolls can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days. They also freeze well in a zip-loc bag or air-tight container for up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature then toast or reheat in the oven at 350ºF (177ºC) for 10 minutes until warmed through.
