Easy Same-Day Ciabatta Rolls – Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

These easy same-day ciabatta rolls are chewy and airy and delicious for sandwiches or a side dish. Instead of a two-day process, they take just a few hours to make!

Now you can make amazing ciabatta rolls from the comfort of your own kitchen – and you are going to want to. They are so good!

What Makes Ciabatta Different From Other Bread

Classic ciabatta dough is made from four simple ingredients: flour, water, salt and yeast. It also has higher hydration, which means the dough is wetter and stickier than more classic yeast doughs that require kneading.

The higher hydration (along with how the dough is mixed and shaped) means ciabatta has a deliciously chewy texture with an airy, fluffy crumb. Traditional ciabatta usually takes two days to make. But this recipe for same-day ciabatta rolls takes just a few hours.

We’re skipping the overnight biga (a dough starter that sits overnight) in favor of using a bit more yeast and employing a stretch-and-fold technique while the dough rises.

The dough is easily mixed by hand in a bowl – no kneading or stand mixer required.

Stretch and Fold Technique

A key element to the success of this easy same-day ciabatta recipe is the way the dough is stretched and folded while it rests.

1. After mixing the dough, let it rest until puffy.
2. Stretch and fold the dough 3 to 4 times by pulling the dough up and folding it over the top of the dough (then turning the bowl and repeating).
3. Let the dough rest again until puffy and then repeat the stretch and folds one more time.
4. Let the dough rise until doubled.

The stretch-and-fold method strengthens the structure and elasticity of the dough. The dough will go from being wet and shaggy in texture to more smooth and solid as you repeat the stretching and folding. It also introduces air and volume into the dough to help give the ciabatta those signature airy pockets.

Shaping the Ciabatta Rolls

As the ciabatta dough rises, you may notice large or small bubbles throughout the dough.

When the dough is ready to be shaped into rolls, gently turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter without degassing (i.e. fully deflating) the dough.

Lightly press the dough into a thick rectangle and cut into squares or rectangles. Again, do this without manhandling the air bubbles out of the dough.

As the rolls rise and bake, they will develop a wonderfully airy, chewy, fluffy crumb that is one of the most delightful characteristics of ciabatta bread.

Don’t worry about getting the rolls all into uniform shape with perfectly smooth tops and edges. Ciabatta rolls are meant to look a bit rustic! It’s part of their appeal.

Following the instructions for mixing, stretching-and-folding, shaping, and rising ensures these easy same-day ciabatta rolls are just as delicious as their more involved, two-day counterpart recipes.

How to Serve Ciabatta Rolls

Ciabatta rolls are delicious served:

• as a bread side dish along any number of meals (thinking: pasta and soup, in particular!)
• sliced and made into garlic bread
• served as sandwiches – cold cut sandwiches or hot panini sandwiches
• toasted and slathered in butter and jam

Lately, I’ve been making these rolls in the morning so we can make easy sandwiches for dinner. Our latest favorite: toasted and buttered ciabatta rolls + grilled chicken + honey mustard + havarti cheese + bacon + lettuce + tomato. SO GOOD.

I hope you enjoy this recipe for easier ciabatta rolls. They really are incredible!

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Easy Same Day Ciabatta Rolls

Yield: 10 to 10 rolls

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Rising/Resting Time:: 3 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 4 hours hrs

• 2 cups (460 g) very warm water (105 to 110 degrees F)
• 1 tablespoon (10 g) instant yeast
• 4 cups (568 g) bread flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons (9 g) table salt

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• In a large bowl, stir together the water and yeast. Let stand for 5 to 6 minutes until the yeast is foamy.

• Add the flour and salt and mix until combined and no dry streaks remain. The dough will be shaggy in texture.

• Cover and let rest for 45 to 60 minutes until the dough is puffy.

• Stretch and fold the dough: wet your hand with cool water so the dough doesn’t stick. Pull the dough up and over and fold it on top of the dough. Turn the bowl about a third of a turn and repeat the stretch and fold. Do this one more time.

• Cover and let rest for 45 to 60 minutes. Repeat the stretch and folds (3 to 4 stretch and folds around the dough).

• Cover and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

• Line two half sheet pans with parchment paper, lightly grease with cooking spray and set aside.

• On a lightly floured counter, gently turn the bowl on its side and lightly scrape to release it (or let gravity do the work) so the dough pulls out of the bowl and onto the counter without deflating. You don’t want to get rid of the air bubbles that have formed during the stretching, folding and rising.

• Gently pat the dough into a rectangle, about 8X12 inches and at least 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick.

• Use a pizza cutter, bench scraper or sharp knife to cut the dough into about 8 or 10 squares or rectangles. Don’t deflate the dough while cutting.

• Place the rolls on the prepared sheet pans, spacing about 1 to 2 inches apart. Cover and let rise until noticeably puffy, 45 to 60 minutes.

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place a pan of hot water on the bottom oven rack while the oven preheats OR toss several ice cubes into the bottom of the oven (make sure they don’t land on the glass door) right before placing the pan of rolls in the oven.

• Bake for 15 to 16 minutes until golden brown and baked through.

Rising Time: the rest/rise time in between stretch and folds can be sped up by using the proof function on your oven if you have it (no warmer than 90 to 100 degrees F). Or place a bowl of warm water in the bottom of your oven (keep oven turned off but turn oven light on) and place bowl of dough on the rack above. If using a warm oven, the dough rest/rise time will shorten to about 15 to 20 minutes. It’s ready for stretching/folding when it is noticeably puffy. Likewise, a warm oven (following the instructions above) can be used to speed up the rising of the dough in bulk after the stretch/folds and after shaping. 
Flour: all-purpose flour can be used in place of the bread flour. The rolls may not be quite as chewy and fluffy using all-purpose flour. 

Author: Mel

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American, Italian

Method: Bake

Serving: 1 roll, Calories: 182kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 0.1g, Sodium: 352mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 0.2g

Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe