Ciabatta | Italian Panini Bread Recipe

This classic sandwich bread recipe is simple to make and perfect for your dream panino!

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Ciabatta Recipe

Makes: 2 ciabatta sandwich loaves

For this recipe, you will need:

• 1 ½ teaspoons (5 grams) active dry yeast
• A pinch of granulated sugar
• 6 ¾ ounces (200 milliliters) water
• 1 ⅔ cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 ½ teaspoons (8 grams) salt
• Extra virgin olive oil

Stir the yeast and sugar into the water until dissolved. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and water mixture. Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon. The dough should be quite wet and sticky (see video above) and the amount of hydration can vary substantially depending on the climate. Add more water as necessary to achieve a similar result!

Transfer the dough into a clean mixing bowl that has been brushed with olive oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise at room temperature for 90 minutes.

After 90 minutes, sprinkle the salt over the dough and mix again with a wooden spoon. Line a square baking pan (we used a 9 inch pan, but anything similar will work) with parchment paper and brush with a generous drizzle of olive oil.

Pour the dough onto the baking pan and gently spread it out with a spatula until it is flat. Brush the top of the dough with more oil, loosely cover with plastic wrap or a clean towel, and let rise a further 50 minutes.

Preheat an oven to 480 ºF (250 ºC). Place a tray of water on the bottom rack to keep the oven moist.

Dust a large, clean work surface with lots of flour. Transfer the dough into the center and gently pull it from the edges to form a large, flat square of dough (about 16x16 inches). Sprinkle the dough with more flour.

Using a bench scraper or knife, cut the dough in half. Each half will become one ciabatta loaf. Roll each section up lengthwise in four folds, using a bench scraper as necessary to detach any dough that might stick to the surface below. Place the folded loaves on a non-stick baking sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes. Lower the temperature to 425 ºF (220 ºC) and bake a further 20 to 25 minutes or until the crust is deeply golden.

Allow to cool completely before serving.

Buon appetito!