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    Emily Fabulous » Recipes » Recipes

    Easy Ciabatta Rolls Recipe

    Published: Apr 15, 2021 · Modified: Jul 2, 2023 by Emily · This post may contain affiliate links · 46 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

    This Easy Ciabatta Rolls Recipe can be made in one day and takes about 4 hours from start to finish. With only 4 ingredients, these ciabatta rolls can be made whenever you need a roll or bun for burgers, sandwiches, and more!

    ciabatta rolls on a cutting board, oe cut in half
    Jump to:
    • Why You Will Love This Recipe
    • Ingredients Needed to Make This Easy Ciabatta Rolls Recipe
    • What is Ciabatta Bread?
    • How to Make Ciabatta Rolls
    • What to Use These Rolls For
    • Tools Needed to Make Ciabatta Bread at Home
    • Easy Ciabatta Rolls
    • Did you Make This Recipe?

    Why You Will Love This Recipe

    If you need rolls or buns for your meal, make this Easy Ciabatta Rolls Recipe. This is a great recipe for beginner bread makers and the only hard part is waiting for the dough to rise. Instant yeast does most of the work to create bubbly and delicious bread.

    Ingredients Needed to Make This Easy Ciabatta Rolls Recipe

    I love simple recipes and this one only has four ingredients: water, instant yeast, flour, and salt. That's it! Most bread starts with simple ingredients, what the dough creates depends on proof time (rest/rise time), folding, shape, heat, etc.

    Water: Water is an essential component of ciabatta bread dough. It provides hydration to the flour, allowing the gluten strands to develop and resulting in a soft and elastic texture. Water also contributes to the formation of steam during baking, which helps create a crispy crust.

    Instant Yeast: Instant yeast, also known as rapid-rise or bread machine yeast, provides leavening to the dough, causing it to rise and develop air pockets, resulting in the characteristic open crumb of ciabatta bread.

    Flour: All-Purpose flour is used in this recipe to provide structure and strength to the dough. The protein in the flour helps develop gluten, which contributes to the bread's texture and chewiness.

    Salt: Kosher salt adds flavor to the bread and also helps regulate the fermentation process. It strengthens the gluten structure, improving the texture and overall quality of the bread.

    What is Ciabatta Bread?

    Ciabatta bread is a type of Italian bread known for its distinctive shape, airy texture, and crispy crust. It originated in the northern regions of Italy, particularly in the area surrounding Lake Como.

    homemade ciabatta roll cut in half

    Ciabatta starts with sticky and wet dough and turns into a bubbly creation once it's been folded a few times and stretched to a rectangle. I'll walk you through the steps and you'll be enjoying your fresh, homemade ciabatta rolls in no time!

    How to Make Ciabatta Rolls

    Activate the Yeast and Start the Dough - Mix the warm water and yeast in a large mixing bowl and let the mixture sit for 8-10 minutes. Add the flour and salt and stir everything together. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow it to sit for 1 hour.

    yeast and water in a bowl
    starting shaggy dough for ciabatta

    Fold and Stretch the Dough Three Times - After an hour, wet your hands and fold and stretch the dough four times all the way around the dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and rest for 30 minutes. Repeat this step 2 more times for a total of 3 stretch and fold sessions and an hour and a half of resting time.

    ciabatta dough after third rest

    Cut and Shape the Rolls - Gently remove the dough from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface. Carefully stretch the edges of the dough ball out to make a rectangle about ¾" thick or so. Using a scraper/chopper or a sharp knife, cut the rectangle into 5-6 even-sized squares. Place the squares on a piece of parchment paper, cover them with a towel or plastic wrap, and allow to rest one more time for 40 minutes.

    ciabatta dough pressed out into a rectangle
    ciabatta dough cut into rectangles and places on parchment paper

    Bake The Rolls on a Baking Stone - Preheat the oven and a baking stone at 420°F. About 15 minutes before the end of the final proofing, boil 2 cups of water and place a pan or bowl with the boiling water at the bottom of the oven to create steam. Carefully transfer the parchment paper with the dough squares onto the baking stone. Bake for 20 minutes and then remove the rolls and place them on a cooling rack to cool.

    baked ciabatta rolls on a cooling rack

    What to Use These Rolls For

    Because of the airy interior and lightly crunchy exterior of these rolls, ciabatta can be used for many things. Due to its versatility and light texture, ciabatta bread is commonly used for sandwiches, particularly paninis, as its structure allows it to hold fillings without becoming too dense or overwhelming the flavors. Here are some other ideas:

    • Burgers (shown below)
    • French Toast or French Toast Casserole
    • Toast for breakfast
    • Dip in olive oil and balsamic vinegar
    • Croutons
    • Bread for Soup
    ciabatta rolls on a plate and sliced in half

    Tools Needed to Make Ciabatta Bread at Home

    A baking stone is a must-have to get a good crunchy crust on your ciabatta rolls. I personally use the round version because I also like to make pizza on it and the rectangle version is nice because it's a little larger and easy to maneuver bread on.

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    The other tool I highly recommend is a bench scraper to help with forming the bread and cutting your rolls.

    Buy on Amazon!
    homemade ciabatta bread with an impossible burger and toppings
    ciabatta rolls on a plate and sliced in half

    Easy Ciabatta Rolls

    Make this Easy Ciabatta Rolls Recipe any day of the week and have fresh homemade bread perfect for burgers, sandwiches, and more!
    5 from 91 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Stretch, Fold and Proof Time: 3 hours hours 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 3 hours hours 40 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6 rolls
    Calories: 192kcal
    Author: Emily
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • baking stone
    • cast-iron pan or oven-safe pan/bowl
    • scraper/chopper
    • parchment paper
    • large mixing bowl
    • plastic wrap

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup warm water (room temp, not too hot)
    • 1 teaspoon instant yeast
    • 2½ cups all-purpose flour (properly measured)
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

    Instructions

    • Place the warm water and yeast in a large mixing bowl and mix together. Let the mixture sit for 8-10 minutes until there is some nice bubble action happening.
    • Once the yeast is active, add the flour and salt and stir everything together. I use a silicone spatula which made scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl easier. The dough will be wet and sticky and a little shaggy. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow it to rest for 1 hour. TIP: I placed mine in the oven with a bowl of hot water, but you can also leave it on the counter if it's warm enough in your house.
    • After an hour, wet your hands and fold and stretch the dough four times all the way around the dough. Pull up two corners, stretch lightly and fold over the top of the dough ball. Repeat this 2 more times. Cover the bowl again with the plastic wrap and rest for 30 minutes. Repeat this step 2 more times for a total of 3 stretch and fold sessions and an hour and a half of additional resting time.
    • By now the dough should have doubled in size and be nice and bubbly. Carefully remove the dough from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface. TIP: lightly flour the top of the dough and your hands for easier transfer. Carefully stretch the edges of the dough ball out to make a rectangle about ¾" thick or so. Try not to squish the dough or all of that air you worked so hard to create inside will get out.
    • Using a scraper or a sharp knife, cut the rectangle into 5-6 even-sized squares. Place the squares on a piece of parchment paper, cover with a towel or plastic wrap and allow to rest one more time for 40 minutes.
      While the dough is proofing a final time, preheat the oven and baking stone at 420°F. You can preheat the oven for the full 40 minutes to ensure your oven is nice and hot. About 15 minutes before the end of final proofing, boil 2 cups of water and place an oven-safe pan or bowl with the boiling water at the bottom of the oven and to the side so the steam has a chance to reach the bread.
    • Once the dough has rested for 40 minutes, carefully transfer the parchment paper with the dough squares onto the baking stone. You can also have the paper and dough on a baking sheet and place the baking sheet right on top of the baking stone. Bake for 20 minutes and then remove the rolls and place them on a cooling rack to cool.

    Video

    Notes

    • If you live in a dry climate, you may need to add a little more water in step 2 to ensure the dough is wet, sticky, and shaggy looking. Add 1 tablespoon at a time until you are satisfied with the texture. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 192kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 5.6g | Fat: 0.5g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 390mg | Potassium: 70mg | Fiber: 1.6g | Sugar: 0.1g | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 3mg

    Any nutrition calculations are only estimates using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.

    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @EmilyFabulous_Blog or tag #emilyfabulous!

    Did you Make This Recipe?

    If you get a chance to make this recipe, don't forget to leave a review below! And if you snap a photo, tag me on Instagram or Facebook and show me your bread!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Robin St. John says

      September 05, 2023 at 6:36 pm

      5 stars
      I’ve been wanting to try ciabatta for a long time as it’s one of my favorite breads. This. Was. Excellent! Hands down my favorite bread bake ever. Thank you for the perfect recipe and directions. Really outstanding. I will make this again and again….

      Reply
      • Emily says

        September 06, 2023 at 8:28 am

        Thanks, Robin!! That makes my day ☺️ Happy bread baking!

        Reply
    2. Dani says

      August 26, 2023 at 3:18 pm

      5 stars
      I love the cabata rolls at Costco!! These are even better!! They turned out perfect, chewy and fluffy. Thank you! Does doubling the recipe work? sometimes it is not quite the same. These take a lot of work for 6 rolls, but they are worth it! I am definitely saving this recipe.

      Reply
      • Emily says

        August 26, 2023 at 8:29 pm

        Hi Dani, I'm so glad you loved this recipe! I have not doubled this recipe, however, I don't think you will have an issue since it's fairly small to begin with. Let me know if you give it a try!

        Reply
    3. Lee-Ann Kelly says

      July 08, 2023 at 11:16 am

      Just made these rolls and they are cooling so can't comment on the taste yet but they smell lovely. I have a question - my rolls are pretty pale and not as nicely browned as yours. How do I get that lovely golden colour on the crust?

      Reply
      • Emily says

        July 08, 2023 at 1:12 pm

        Hi Lee-Ann, thanks for trying out the recipe! Did you place a bowl of water at the bottom of your oven? You can also light spray the rolls every 10-20 minutes with a fine mist of water to try and achieve a darker color on top or move them a step closer to the heating element in you oven. Just make sure you keep an eye on them so they don’t burn. Enjoy!

        Reply
    4. Kim says

      April 18, 2023 at 4:25 pm

      Hi, I made these a couple of weeks ago and they turned out absolutely perfect. 1st time I have ever had success with a yeast bread! I am just making them now and they were about 30 minutes into the 1st rise, and I realized that they were not as sticky looking as they were the 1st time period. Somehow I missed the video but watched it just now and realized they should have been stickier. Is it too late to add a little water into it now?

      Reply
      • Emily says

        April 18, 2023 at 10:09 pm

        Hi Kim,
        Sorry, I am just seeing this so it might be too late...however, it's pretty tricky to add ingredients after the dough has started proofing or resting so I'm not sure if you would have been successful or not. After an hour you were prob out of luck sadly. Did you keep going with the recipe? Sometimes the dough will come together after all. Now that you are seeing success with bread making, hopefully, you will keep at it and continue to learn what to look for as you go. I still run into issues from time to time but get better at knowing what I want my dough to look like and when to make small adjustments. Thanks for trying the recipe and good luck!

        Reply
    5. Phyllis says

      March 01, 2023 at 2:31 pm

      Made these buns and very pleased with results! Can you freeze these buns?

      Reply
      • Emily says

        March 01, 2023 at 5:28 pm

        Hi Phyllis, I'm so glad you like them. Yes, these buns can be frozen. Ensure they have fully cooled before wrapping them in plastic wrap and placing them in a freezer-safe sealable bag or container. They will last in the freezer for up to 3 months. Enjoy!

        Reply
    6. Rearatwa says

      February 03, 2023 at 10:08 am

      what can I use if I don't have a baking stone?

      Reply
      • Emily says

        February 04, 2023 at 12:14 pm

        Hi, you could use a cast iron skillet, a dutch oven, or a heavy-duty baking sheet.

        Reply
    7. Stephen Price says

      January 11, 2023 at 9:06 am

      5 stars
      Made two batches one for me and one for my son so easy and so delicious making another batch today thanks for the recipe.

      Reply
      • Emily says

        January 11, 2023 at 9:17 pm

        Thanks, Stephen, I'm so happy to hear that you are loving this recipe. Enjoy!

        Reply
    8. Risa says

      February 18, 2022 at 4:48 pm

      5 stars
      These came out perfect. Crusty and light. Great addition to a shrimp salad.

      Reply
      • Emily says

        February 18, 2022 at 6:07 pm

        That's wonderful. Thanks for the review, Risa!

        Reply
    9. Pessy Weber says

      July 21, 2021 at 3:12 pm

      5 stars
      Your recipe is the best the rolls were fabulous can I just make one loaf of bread in a Dutch oven instead of the rolls thanks

      Reply
      • Emily says

        July 21, 2021 at 3:20 pm

        That's wonderful, Pessy! Thanks for trying my recipe and letting me know how it went.

        Reply
      • Jasmin says

        October 07, 2021 at 3:40 pm

        How long did you bake the bread in the dutch oven? Do you always put parchment paper down when cooking bread in a dutch oven?

        Reply
        • Emily says

          October 07, 2021 at 3:57 pm

          Hi Jasmine, I bake my rolls on a baking stone in the oven. I believe one of my readers used a dutch oven. I'm not sure how long she baked it. I personally always use parchment paper in my dutch oven when I am baking bread in it. Removal and clean-up are so much easier!

          Reply
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