Easy Ciabatta Rolls Recipe (2024)

Published: Apr 15, 2021 · Modified: Dec 3, 2023 by Emily · This post may contain affiliate links · 46 Comments

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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!

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Why You Will Love This Recipe
What is Ciabatta Bread?
Ingredients Needed to Make This Recipe
How to Make Ciabatta Rolls
Expert Tips For This Recipe
What to Use These Rolls For
Recipe FAQs
Tools Needed For This Recipe
More Bread Recipes To Check Out
Easy Ciabatta Rolls

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, similar to my No-Knead Rosemary Bread and my Dutch Oven Sourdough Bread, 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 just like in my Greek Pita Bread.

What is Ciabatta Bread?

Ciabatta bread is an 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.

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!

Ingredients Needed to Make This Recipe

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. You can also use bread flour.

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.

*See the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients and quantities.

How to Make Ciabatta Rolls

Step 1: Activate the Yeast - Mix the warm water and yeast in a large mixing bowl and let the mixture sit for 8-10 minutes to activate the yeast.

Step 2: Create a Shaggy Dough - Add the flour and salt and stir everything together. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow it to sit for 1 hour.

Step 3: Fold and Stretch the Dough - Wet your hands and fold and stretch the dough four times. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and rest for 30 minutes. Repeat this step 2 more times.

Step 4: Stretch the Dough - 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.

Step 5: Create Smaller Rectangles - 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.

Step 6: Bake The Rolls on a Baking Stone - Preheat the oven and the baking stone at 420°F. Boil 2 cups of water and place a pan or bowl with the boiling water at the bottom of the oven to create steam. Bake the rolls for 20 minutes and then remove them to cool on a rack.

Expert Tips For This Recipe

High Hydration Dough: Ciabatta dough is a high-hydration dough. This helps develop those classic holes in the bread. Don't panic if your dough is sticky and wet in the beginning.
Wet Hands: Keep your hands wet when handling the sticky dough during the folding process. This prevents excessive sticking and keeps the dough moist.
Parchment Paper: Parchment paper helps prevent the dough from sticking during baking. You can place the parchment paper right on the baking stone to prevent sticking.
Steam in the Oven: Adding a bowl or pan of boiling water is a key step in the baking process. This creates steam in the oven to keep the ciabatta rolls chewy but crispy on the outside. It also helps create a beautiful brown color.
Cooling Properly: Ensure you allow the ciabatta rolls to cool completely on a wire rack. This will help maintain the texture and avoid a gummy center.
Dry Climate: 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.

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 like my Roasted Heirloom Tomato Soup

Recipe FAQs

Do I need a special pan for baking ciabatta bread?

The best way to bake ciabatta rolls is on a baking stone in the oven lined with parchment paper.

More Bread Recipes To Check Out

Dutch Oven Sourdough Bread
Lemon Lavender Bread Recipe
Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting
Cinnamon Zucchini Banana Bread

If you get a chance to make these Easy Ciabatta Rolls, tag me on Instagram or Facebook and show me, or leave a review below! You can also follow me on Pinterest and sign up for my e-mail list to receive more fun and delicious recipes in your inbox.