Make authentic Italian ciabatta bread using BIGA (a pre-fermented dough). Ciabatta is ideal for sandwiches, dinner rolls, and everything in between.
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Going to culinary school in Italy made me truly obsessed with bread! Every morning in school, we were tasked with making a different type of bread or dough. Some days, it was focaccia; other days, it was BIGA rolls or even Neapolitan pizza dough.
After coming home from school, I was determined to make all of my bread at home! These ciabatta rolls are perfect to have on hand because they can be made into a ciabatta sandwich or served as a dinner roll.
This recipe uses BIGA, an Italian pre-fermented dough that is made before baking the ciabatta. BIGA gives the bread a delicious flavor, beautiful crumb, and texture.
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What You'll Learn In This Recipe
- How to make Italian BIGA preferment with flour, yeast, and water.
- The proper technique for shaping ciabatta dough.
- Tips for storing and freezing the rolls.
If you enjoy learning about Italian cooking, grab 10 of my favorite recipes:
Ingredients You Need
This authentic ciabatta bread recipe uses a BIGA preferment, semolina flour, and a few other ingredients.
- BIGA: BIGA is the Italian version of a pre-fermented dough. It's a stiff preferment that helps add flavor, predictability, and structure to the bread.
- Semolina flour: This type of flour is made from durum wheat and gives ciabatta that iconic texture.
- Water: You'll want to use lukewarm water, around 70°F or 21°C.
- Fine sea salt: All bread needs a good amount of salt to add flavor. Don't skimp on this ingredient!
- Extra virgin olive oil: Using high-quality extra virgin olive oil is key to authentic Italian dishes. If you're interested in learning more, check out my guide to Italian olive oil.
- Active dry yeast: You can substitute one-to-one for instant dry yeast, as needed.
- Granulated sugar: Sugar helps to caramelize the bread once baked and gives the ciabatta a beautiful golden brown color.
How To Make This Recipe
Here's a step-by-step guide that will show you how the ciabatta dough should look and feel at each stage.
Before you get started on the ciabatta, you'll need to make your BIGA the night before.
1. Mix the flour and yeast in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment on medium low speed. Next, slowly add in water.
2. Once a shaggy dough forms, bump the mixer speed up to high and continue mixing until the dough forms into one solid mass
3. Transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl and cover with a tea towel. Allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 12 - 16 hours until the top of the dough has crusted over and is flat.
This rise time will vary depending on how cold or warm your room is. If the top is rounded/domed, it needs to sit for a longer time.
4. Once ready, you must use the BIGA immediately. Cut off and discard a very thin layer of the crusty top, then measure about 5 cups (1200 grams).
5. Now, it's time to make the ciabatta dough. Mix the semolina flour and yeast in a stand mixer, then slowly pour in the water.
6. Once combined, add about 5 cups (1200 grams) of BIGA and mix until incorporated with the semolina.
7. Add the granulated sugar, followed by extra virgin olive oil.
8. Finally, add the fine sea salt, which will help the dough come together.
9. Bump the mixer speed up to high and mix until you hear a popping sound and the dough wraps around the dough hook. The dough will be smooth but very sticky.
10. Prepare a metal 9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 cm) pan with a generous dusting of semolina flour. If you fail to add enough semolina, the dough will stick to the pan after it has risen.
11. Place the dough in the prepared metal pan and sprinkle the top and sides with another dusting of semolina flour.
12. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size and the dough has filled the pan. If your kitchen is cold, it may take slightly longer to double in size.
13. Generously cover a clean work surface with semolina flour. Gently flip the dough onto the work surface. Using a bench scraper or sharp knife, cut the dough into rolls about 2.5 x 2.5 inches (6 x 6 cm). Don't worry if all the rolls don't look exactly the same.
Be careful not to deflate the air out of the dough during this process – this is really important for fluffy ciabatta bread!
14. Carefully transfer the rolls to parchment lined light colored baking sheets. Ensure the tops are generously covered with semolina flour, then lightly cover with plastic wrap and allow to proof in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size.
Finally, bake the rolls for 25 - 30 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through the cooking process, until lightly golden.
Expert Tips
- In order to help the ciabatta rolls last a long time, I suggest freezing them. It will help the bread stay fresh without changing the taste or texture.
- To freeze the rolls, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the rolls on the baking sheet and freeze just until firm. Place the frozen bread in an airtight container in the freezer until you're ready to serve.
- If you're serving these rolls for dinner, first warm them in the oven. Before serving the rolls, heat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a light colored baking sheet with parchment paper and place room temperature rolls on top. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes until warmed through and slightly crunchy on the outside.
- Want to pair these rolls with some butter? Try my sweet compound butter recipes with three different flavors.
Recipe FAQs
If you're using a KitchenAid mixer instead of a bread mixer, you'll have to have some patience when making this ciabatta dough. If you're having trouble with the dough hook catching and kneading the dough, use a silicone spatula to flip the dough over periodically to help the dough hook catch. With some patience, it should come together.
Yes, this ciabatta recipe was specifically developed using BIGA. If you skip this part of the recipe, the bread will not turn out correctly.
You have to be really careful with the ciabatta in order to keep the air that forms during the rising and proofing stage inside the dough. Be sure to handle the dough carefully while cutting the rolls.
Also, check that your oven is at the proper temperature. If it's too cold, the rolls will not properly rise when cooked. I always love using an oven thermometer to double check that my oven is properly heating.
Since this dough is naturally sticky, you'll need to use a generous amount of semolina flour throughout the process, including using additional semolina on top of the ciabatta before the dough rises and proofs. When in doubt, add additional semolina flour to ensure the dough doesn't stick.
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Italian Ciabatta
Equipment
- tea towel
- metal 9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 cm) pan
- bench scraper or sharp knife
- light colored baking sheets
Ingredients
BIGA
- 8 ½ cups bread flour
- 3 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 ¼ cups water (70°F or 21°C)
Ciabatta
- 3 cups semolina flour plus more for dusting
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 cups plus 1 tablespoon water (70°F or 21°C)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 6 teaspoons fine sea salt
Instructions
For BIGA
- Mix flour and yeast in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment on medium low speed. Slowly add in water.
- Once a shaggy dough forms, bump the mixer speed up to high and continue mixing until the dough forms into one solid mass, about 1 - 2 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl and cover with a tea towel. Allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 12 - 16 hours until the top of the dough has crusted over and is flat (if it’s rounded/domed, it needs to sit for a longer time).
- Once ready, you must use it immediately. Cut off and discard a very thin layer of the crusty top of the BIGA then measure about 5 cups (1200 grams).
For Ciabatta
- Mix semolina flour and yeast in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment on medium low speed. Slowly add in water. Scrape down the sides of the mixer as needed. Once combined, add about 5 cups (1200 grams) BIGA and mix until incorporated with semolina mixture.
- Add granulated sugar; mix until combined.
- Add extra virgin olive oil to the center of the dough and mix. Add fine sea salt.
- Bump the mixer speed up to high and mix until you hear a popping sound and the dough wraps around the dough hook. The dough will be smooth but very sticky.
- Prepare a metal 9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 cm) pan with a generous dusting of semolina flour.
- Place the dough in the prepared metal pan and sprinkle the top and sides with a dusting of semolina flour. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size and the dough has filled the pan. Rise time will vary depending on the temperature of your environment.
- Generously cover a clean work surface with semolina flour. Gently flip the dough onto the work surface. Using a bench scraper or sharp knife, cut the dough into rolls about 2.5 x 2.5 inches (6 x 6 cm). Be careful not to deflate the air out of the dough during this process.
- Carefully transfer the rolls to parchment lined light colored baking sheets 1 - 2 inches (3 - 5 cm) apart. Ensure the tops are generously covered with semolina flour then lightly cover with plastic wrap and allow to proof in a warm (75°F - 80°F or 24°C - 27°C), draft-free place until doubled in size, about 60 minutes.
- Heat oven to 400°F (205°C).
- Bake for 25 - 30 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through the cooking process, until lightly golden. Place ciabatta on a cooling rack and cover with a tea towel. Allow rolls to cool to room temperature before removing from the pan and slicing in half.
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