Homemade Ciabatta Rolls recipe (2024)

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This Ciabatta Rolls recipe is perfect for making sandwiches or eating with soup. It’s light, fluffy and a delicious bread option for homemade bread lovers. Pin this now so you can make it later!

I haven’t mentioned this on the blog yet, but I’m writing a recipe book! I planned on doing a larger announcement of it at some point but life has become so busy this season with the work for the book and the kids’ fall sports activities. Not to mention the garden, farm stand and our animals. But one of the beautiful things that has come out of working on the book is background recipes. There are some things I need in the photographs that are part of the main recipe. However, they are not the recipe that people will necessarily be buying the book for. These Homemade Ciabatta Rolls are something I’ve been wanting to make for awhile and because I need them for a shot for something else, I was finally rolled up my sleeves to make them.

My Taste Testers

Kevin and the kids love it when I make fresh bread. In fact they love it a little too much. Usually they will all stand at the counter and eat it until it is pretty much gone. This always happens with my No Knead Bread in a Dutch oven and it has now become a thing with the Ciabatta too. If I need the bread or rolls for something, I have to specifically tell them they’re only allowed to eat a portion or not to touch at all. Needless to say, not being able to eat the bread doesn’t make for happy faces.

A great thing about this though is that when I am recipe testing, as I did with the Homemade Ciabatta Rolls, I have plenty of helpers to taste test. I made this recipe three times and they were all able to help decide which roll was the best. Keira has been particularly helpful with this. Something changed this summer with her taste buds and not only has she started loving more foods (FINALLY!) but she can really taste some of the nuance in them too. For this recipe, she said this roll had the best texture, moisture and flavor. It was a winner all around.

What is Ciabatta bread?

Ciabatta bread is a white bread that comes from Rovigo, Veneto, Italy. The name Ciabatta comes from the Italian word for “slipper”. When baked in bread loaves, that is kind of what it resembles. It was developed fairly recently as far as breads go in 1982. French baguettes had become popular and Italians wanted something similar of their own. Ciabatta is baked at a higher hydration level with a stronger flour (bread flour) and the traditional loaves usually have large holes. It is often used in Paninis but has so many other uses and is a popular bread in the United States. Because I wanted to create a Ciabatta Rolls recipe, you won’t noticed the drastic holes you might see in a traditional loaf, but there will be soime larger ones mixed in with a lot of small ones.

Combining simple ingredients

To make my homemade Ciabatta Rolls recipe you only need a few simple ingredients. Bread flour, hot water, a package of yeast, extra virgin olive oil and salt. Much like other breads, this recipe truly uses the basics to allow you to create a homemade ciabatta rolls that your family will absolutely adore.

You combine the water and flour together first with a whisk. Then mix the water and yeast in a separate cup. That cup then is poured over the flour mix and a spatula or wooden spoon can be used to help combine them. When the dough is shaggy, add in the extra virgin olive oil. and continue to gently fold it in the with spatula. Be careful not to press down on the dough too hard. I will work it from the outside and the bottom to scrape it. Then I gently fold the olive oil into the dough until it is well combined.

Once everything has been mixed, it is time to cover it with a clean kitchen towel or tea towel and let it rise. Make sure to place it in a warmer spot, out of the direct sunlight.

Resting time

The resting time for making the homemade Ciabatta rolls recipe is long. You need to give yourself the day when making this recipe in order for the yeast to do its work. There are 5 rest periods for the rolls. The first initial rest period is 1 1/2 hours and the dough will double in size. The second, third and fourth rest periods are 30 minutes each after you carefully pull and fold the dough. This means in your mixing bowl, the dough will rest for 3 1/2 hours.

The final resting period is after you roll the dough out of the bowl, stretch it into shape and then cut it. Once that is done, the rolls go onto a baking sheet and get covered to rest again. This should be at least 30 minutes. Although, I’ve found I get a better rise if I go 40-50. This puts total resting time around 4 – 4 1/2 hours.

The good news is, baking time is relatively short compared to other bread recipes like my No Knead Bread Loaf recipe {HERE} or my sourdough {HERE}.

Working with the dough

Unlike a kneaded bread, these Homemade Ciabatta Rolls are a no knead recipe. In fact, if you knead you will loose the bubbles created by the yeast and the light and fluffy texture.

Instead, you want to create almost layers of air. After each of the rest periods (the 1 1/2 hours and then the periods of 30 minutes) you want to pull the dough from the bottom and gently stretch it over the top. Don’t push down. Just let it rest there. Do this four times, working your way around the dough ball. Once completed, recover the dough with the towel and set a timer for the next rest period.

If the dough breaks while you are stretching it, you are pulling to hard. Try to be a little more gentle in the tugging and stretching. Place any broken pieces straight on top of the dough ball.

When it is time to cut the dough into the rolls, roll it out of the bowl onto a floured piece of parchment paper. Gently shape it by stretching it from the bottom to a rectangle shape.

Cutting the rolls

To cut the rolls you need to use a dough cutter/bench scraper. This one {HERE} is similar to mine. You should be able to get 6 rolls out of the bread if you want sandwich rolls. You can cut them a little smaller for simple dinner rolls and get 8 rolls. If you need more, I recommend making the recipe a second time in a second bowl versus doubling the recipe in one bowl. Then let one do a final rest a little longer while the first one bakes if you cannot fit two baking sheets in the oven.

Make sure you’ve rolled the dough out onto a piece of floured parchment paper. Flour the dough cutter and cut the Homemade Ciabatta Rolls recipe dough down the center longways first. Then cut the individual rolls. Gently pull each roll away from the others so it has a little space in the oven. Pull from the bottom so that you are not pressing on the tops.

So as not to mess with the rolls, I like to pull that piece of parchment paper onto the baking sheet by holding the backing sheet just off the counter’s edge. Once they’re on, put a towel over them and let them do their final rest.

Baking the Homemade Ciabatta Rolls

When you put the rolls on the baking sheet to allow them to rest, turn the oven on. The oven temperature should be around 420. I don’t have that number setting on my oven so I turn my dial right between 400 and 425. If your oven allows for 420, go ahead and use that. If it doesn’t, set your dial to the center like I do.

Letting the oven warm up really well is important. Because the Homemade Ciabatta Rolls are baked on a baking sheet verses in a Dutch oven, you will need to create a steamy environment in the oven to get the proper rise from the rolls and crust. I find turning it on this far in advance not only allows me to remember to turn it on, but also allows the oven to get to temperature and helps to make your house a little warmer which will further help the rolls to rise as they rest.

Creating steam

Once the oven is heated and the final rise time is over, you need to create steam in the oven for them to properly rise and to help create the crust form. This can be done in a few ways.

1. Spray the tops of the rolls with water from a spray bottle. Honestly, I think this is the easiest way.
2. Spray the sides and bottom of the oven with a spray bottle right after you stick the rolls in. I’ve found this doesn’t seem to be enough on its own.
3. Place a shallow, rimmed baking sheet on the bottom rack while the oven is heating. When you stick the Homemade Ciabatta Rolls in, pour a half cup or cup (depends on the rim on the baking sheet) and then close the oven. Keep in mind if you have this right below the rolls, the bottoms might turn out a little soft. Or you might need an extra few minutes of bake time.

I like to use both 1 and 2. I’ve found spraying the bread really helps with the browning too.

Checking for doneness

You can tell that the rolls are almost complete when the tops of them start to slightly brown. This will not have a really hard crust like a Dutch oven bread, but it will still form a nice, firm crust on the tops.

You can also check for doneness by tapping on the bottom. The rolls should sound a little hallow. However, I’ve found that if I have the steam tray right under my rolls, the bottoms on all of them don’t always make that nice sound. If your’s don’t, you can remove the tray at that point and put the rolls in for another few minutes. I’ve found my cook time will range from 20 – 25 minutes.

Resting time

Let the Homemade Ciabatta Rolls rest for 1 hour of a cooling rack. Then you can slide them and use them, or even use them as soup or dinner biscuits. I find they go perfectly with anything that has a nice sauce to mop up or any kind of creamy soup. My family will also just eat them with butter and fully enjoy it.

Tips for making my Homemade Ciabatta Rolls recipe

• Make sure to use the highest quality extra virgin olive oil you can find. It really adds to the flavoring of the rolls and you want to make sure that flavoring is perfection.
• Also, make sure the sea salt is the normal gradual size. I generally love a good, chunky sea salt but in this recipe the smaller size works best.
• For the hot water, I don’t measure the temperature. Some bread purists will have an issue for this. I turn my faucet on hot and let it run for a few minutes. When I see steam coming off it, I fill up my measuring cup. I’ll let it sit for a minute or two on the counter and then add my yeast. Then I immediately add that to the flour mix.
• Use a glass or ceramic bowl to mix the dough in. I have these mixing bowls {HERE} and the large one works really well. I’ve used my stainless steel bowl before and I’ve found that the dough doesn’t rise as well. I think the bowl just doesn’t work as well for creating a cozy and warm environment for the yeast. Also, plain, random metal bowls (not stainless steel) will completely kill the yeast.
• Don’t use plastic wrap for covering the dough. Like the stainless steel bowl, it just doesn’t work as well for the rise.
• Don’t use metal utensils when mixing. Silicone or wood work best. {HERE} is a nice set that contains both with nice wood handles. I’m about to order it for myself. I can never have too many mixing utensils. 🙂
• If you need a spray bottle for baking uses, I have these ones {HERE}. I love that they’re glass and reusable and they’ve really held up nicely for homemade cleaners or baking tasks.
• Set a time for your resting periods so you don’t forget.

Saving and storing

If you have leftover rolls, save them in an airtight container on the counter for up to one day. You can also freeze them and then rehydrate them to use later. Simply take the out of the freezer and run it under a light stream of water. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes.

Looking for more bread recipes?

If you are a bread lover, try these other bread recipes and let me know what you think!

• Irish Soda Bread {HERE}
• No Knead Dutch Oven Bread {HERE}
• Homemade Soft Pretzels {HERE}
• Soul Cakes {HERE}
• Traditional Irish Scones {HERE}
• Homemade Puff Pastry {HERE}
• Homemade Pumpkin Bread with real pumpkin {HERE}

Thank you so much for visiting today, friends! I hope you love my my Homemade Ciabatta Rolls recipe. You can find a full, printable recipe below with all the ingredients and steps. You can also find me on instagram @sugarmaplefarmhouseand@sugarmaplekitchen. Our YouTube channel is@sugarmaplefarmhouse. Happy eating!