This homemade ciabatta bread rolls recipe produces light, airy rolls with a golden crust. Perfect for sandwiches, soups, or as a side for any meal!
Serve them as a base for sandwiches, alongside soups and stews, or as a side for pasta and rice dishes. They're also great for dipping in olive oil and balsamic vinegar and serving at dinner parties, picnics, or as part of a charcuterie board.
David and I fell in love with ciabatta rolls during a trip to Italy many years ago and have finally got round to making our own homemade ones!
Tips
- Whole wheat option - replace a portion of the plain flour with whole wheat flour for a nuttier flavour.
- This homemade ciabatta bread rolls recipe is easily doubled if you want to make more rolls.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ciabatta is known for its high-hydration dough, which gives it a light, airy texture with large holes and a crisp crust.
Yes - a stand mixer with a dough hook can make it easier to handle the sticky dough and ensure proper kneading.
Use a well-floured surface, a bench scraper, wet or oiled hands to handle the sticky dough without adding too much extra flour.
Absolutely - once baked and cooled, freeze the rolls in an airtight bag for up to 3 months. Reheat in the oven for a freshly baked taste.
Bake the rolls on a preheated baking stone or add a pan of hot water to the oven to create steam during baking.
Yes - the dough can be prepared and refrigerated overnight for a slow ferment. Let it come to room temperature before shaping and baking.
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How to make this Homemade Ciabatta Bread Rolls
Ingredients
- 350ml lukewarm water
- 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing
- 1 tbsp dried yeast
- 450g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 2 tsp salt
- 300ml cold water
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the water, oil and yeast and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Add the flour and salt and mix vigorously with a spatula or with a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, for 5 to 10 minutes or until the dough is shiny and slightly elastic (it will be sticky and wet).
- Put the dough in an oiled bowl to prove in a warm place for 30 minutes, then stretch it with oiled hands and fold it onto itself and leave to rest, back in the bowl for 1 hour.
- On a lightly floured surface, use a large knife to separate the dough into 8 equal-sized pieces. Shape into slightly oval shaped rolls and place on a large baking tray lined with baking paper. Prove in a warm place for another, or until the rolls have doubled in size.
- When there's 30 minutes of proving time left, place a small roasting tin in the lower half of the oven. Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7.
- Once the dough has proven, you will notice that air bubbles will have formed - don't burst them, they hold the secret to the formation of the holes in the rolls! With floured hands, dimple the tops of each roll lightly.
- Place the baking tray with the rolls into the oven, pour the cold water into the roasting tin to create steam, close the oven door and bake for 25 minutes or until risen, golden and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped. Cool on a wire rack at room temperature for at least 1 hour before eating. Enjoy cold or warm through in the air fryer at 180C or oven at 200C/180C fan/gas 6 for 3 minutes (sprinkle the rolls lightly with cold water before warming through).
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Homemade Ciabatta Bread Rolls
Ingredients
- 350 ml (1 ½ cups) lukewarm water
- 1 tbsp olive oil plus extra for greasing
- 1 tbsp dried yeast
- 450 g (15.9 oz) plain flour plus extra for dusting
- 2 tsp salt
- 300 ml (1 ⅓ cups) cold water
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the water, oil and yeast and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Add the flour and salt and mix vigorously with a spatula or with a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, for 5 to 10 minutes or until the dough is shiny and slightly elastic (it will be sticky and wet).
- Put the dough in an oiled bowl to prove in a warm place for 30 minutes, then stretch it with oiled hands and fold it onto itself and leave to rest, back in the bowl for 1 hour.
- On a lightly floured surface, use a large knife to separate the dough into 8 equal-sized pieces. Shape into slightly oval shaped rolls and place on a large baking tray lined with baking paper. Prove in a warm place for another, or until the rolls have doubled in size.
- When there's 30 minutes of proving time left, place a small roasting tin in the lower half of the oven. Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7.
- Once the dough has proven, you will notice that air bubbles will have formed - don't burst them, they hold the secret to the formation of the holes in the rolls! With floured hands, dimple the tops of each roll lightly.
- Place the baking tray with the rolls into the oven, pour the cold water into the roasting tin to create steam, close the oven door and bake for 25 minutes or until risen, golden and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped. Cool on a wire rack at room temperature for at least 1 hour before eating. Enjoy cold or warm through in the air fryer at 180C or oven at 200C/180C fan/gas 6 for 3 minutes (sprinkle the rolls lightly with cold water before warming through).
Notes
- Whole wheat option - replace a portion of the plain flour with whole wheat flour for a nuttier flavour.
- This homemade ciabatta bread rolls recipe is easily doubled if you want to make more rolls.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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