Irresistible Ciabatta Bread 

Ciabatta, meaning “slipper” in Italian, is beloved for its crispy crust and airy, open interior. This easy recipe from RecipesCandy guides you through making perfect homemade loaves using just four basic ingredients—flour, yeast, salt, and water—with a touch of olive oil for flavor and crust enhancement. Ideal for sandwiches, dipping, or enjoying fresh with olive oil, the straightforward method yields bakery-quality bread that's both satisfying and impressive. With about 50 minutes of active time, you'll have delicious loaves in around 2 hours total. 

Ingredients

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
  
  

• 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
  
  

• 2 tsp salt
  
  

• 1 ½ cups water (warm)
  
  

• 2 Tbsp olive oil 

 Directions

1. Mix dough – In a large bowl, combine flour, yeast, and salt. Add warm water and olive oil; stir until a wet, sticky dough forms.
   
   

2. First rise and folds – Cover loosely and let rest ~30 minutes. Then, perform one “stretch-and-fold,” rest another 30–60 minutes, repeat the folding once more. This builds structure without kneading.
   
   

3. Shape – After the final rest, gently turn the dough onto a well-floured surface. Shape into a free-form loaf (or divide into rolls). Handle gently to preserve air bubbles. 

4. Second rise – Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let rise ~30–45 minutes until puffy.
   
   

5. Bake with steam – Preheat oven to 475 °F (245 °C) with an empty pan on the bottom rack. Just before baking, mist dough with water, slide loaf onto the middle rack, and pour a cup of hot water into the bottom pan to create steam. Bake 35–45 minutes until golden-brown and hollow-sounding. 

6. Cool – Let the loaf cool completely on a wire rack to set the crumb before slicing.
   
   

Nutrients

(Per serving; recipe yields ~12 servings)

• Calories: ~160 kcal
  
  

• Protein: ~5 g
  
  

• Fat: ~1 g
  
  

• Carbohydrates: ~33 g
  
  

• Fiber: ~1 g
  
  

• Sodium: ~290 mg