Easy Homemade Ciabatta Rolls
These rustic Italian rolls have a crispy crust, airy crumb, and require zero kneading, just five pantry ingredients and a little patience while the dough does its thing. They're perfect for sandwiches, soup dipping, or homemade crostini, and once you make them once, you'll never buy rolls again.
Servings 8 rolls
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl (the dough doubles in size, bigger is better)
- Wooden spoon
- Two forks (for folding the dough)
- Damp kitchen towel, bread bowl cover, or a lid that fits your bowl
- Parchment paper
- baking sheet
- Oven-safe pan (cast iron skillet or roasting pan, goes on the bottom rack to create steam)
- Bench scraper or sharp knife (for cutting the dough)
Ingredients
- 1 packet active dry yeast
- 1¾ cups warm water 100–110°F
- 2 tsp sugar
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Combine warm water, sugar, and yeast. Rest 5–10 min until foamy.
- Add flour and salt. Mix until a shaggy, sticky ball forms. Do not add extra flour.
- Cover with a damp towel or lid. Rise 2 hours in a warm spot.
- Using two forks, fold edges into the center from all four sides. Cover again.
- Rise another 2 hours. Fold again from all four sides.
- Turn onto a floured surface. Gently shape into a rectangle. Cut into 6–8 pieces.
- Place on a parchment-lined sheet. Cover and rest 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Place an oven-safe pan on the bottom rack.
- When ready to bake, fill the hot pan with water to create steam. Bake rolls 20–25 min until lightly golden.
- Cool on a rack for 10 min before serving.
Notes
- Yeast: If it doesn't foam after 10 min, the water was too hot or the yeast is expired. Start over before adding flour.
- Dough: The dough will look very wet and sticky, that's correct. Resist adding extra flour or the crumb will be dense.
- Rise: Cold kitchen? Place the covered bowl in an oven with just the light on. Even a few degrees of warmth helps.
- Shaping: Work gently, the dough is full of air bubbles built up over hours. Pressing hard deflates them.
- Steam: Use oven mitts when pouring water into the hot pan. The burst of steam is intense, step back quickly.
- Storage: Store for up to 24 hrs. Freeze individually wrapped for up to 1 month; reheat from frozen at 350°F for 10–12 min.
