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    Home » Sourdough Bread Recipes

    Ciabatta Rolls: the classic easy recipe

    Published: Feb 28, 2020 · Modified: Mar 2, 2025

    ciabatta rolls
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Ciabatta Rolls. My quick ciabatta rolls are easy to make and do not require an overnight ferment, unlike my ciabatta bread recipe.

    My Ciabatta Rolls Recipe:

    • Chewy texture
    • Perfect for sandwiches
    • Can be made without a standing mixer!

    I've been getting more into making home made breads. I was reading the back of a package of bread the other day and realized how much crap is in bread. Even the healthy ones. Why do I want 20 ingredients in my ciabatta rolls when I could make them with five?

    I really like making a big batch of these ahead of time and putting them in the freezer. They are super easy to store!

    Think sourdough is complicated? It doesn’t have to be! My Beginner Friendly Sourdough Guide walks you through a simple, no discard method for creating a sourdough starter and baking your first loaf! Plus, it's packed with gut friendly benefits thanks to natural fermentation.

    A note about the yeast for ciabatta

    So if you are looking at any bread recipe, you may start to see some say active dry and some say fast-action or rapid rise.

    Basically, one of them, which is the fast-action, can be added right to a bread and is immediately activated. The other one, the active dry, needs to be activated.

    If you are using the active dry yeast in this recipe, you will just need to make a very minor adjustment. Add 2 ¼ teaspoons of the active dry yeast to a bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of sugar and ¼ cup of warm water. Whisk it around to dissolve the sugar and yeast.

    stainless steel bowl with foamy activated yeast
    this is what it should look like

    Let the mixture sit until it is frothy. You will see a lot of action after about 10-20 minutes depending on how warm of a climate you live in.

    If the mixture is flat and watery after 20 minutes, there is something wrong. Either your yeast is really old, a bad batch from the store, or the water was too hot and killed it.

    Bread flour vs All purpose flour for ciabatta bread

    Another thing to consider is if you should be using bread flour or all purpose flour. A lot of bread recipes call for bread flour, especially ciabatta bread. The telltale texture of ciabatta bread, which is very chewy, is because of the flour.

    Bread flour has a higher amount of protein. This protein makes the bread have a higher gluten content, which makes it have more structure. Ultimately, it makes it chewier.

    But, if you are like me and didn't have bread flour on hand, and didn't want to go to the store and get it, the all-purpose flour worked just fine. It wasn't as chewy as other ciabatta rolls that I have tried but I still really enjoyed my sandwich. And, my boyfriend who is a lover of ciabatta bread sandwiches loved my recipe too!

    HOW TO MAKE CIABATTA ROLL DOUGH

    Now that you have decided whether you are using active dry or fast action, and bread flour or all-purpose it is time to make the dough for your ciabatta rolls.

    If you did the active dry method above, you can move on to adding the remainder of your water, the olive oil, and the flour.

    stainless steel bowl with the ciabatta roll dough inside. Mixing the dough with a wooden spoon

    If you are using the fast action method, you will want to combine the flour, the fast-action yeast, the olive oil, and the water. Mix it until it is combined.

    Now you are at the same point for either of the methods. Add the salt and mix again. At this point your dough should be very sticky. This is good. If it is not sticky, add ⅛ cup of water as needed.

    Knead the dough until you can stretch it at least 3-4 inches without it breaking. See the image here:

    Once you have sufficiently kneaded your dough, it is time to proof it.

    HOW TO PROOF DOUGH FOR CIABATTA ROLLS

    Add a bit of olive oil to the bottom of the 9" glass dish. It is a good idea to let your bread rise in a glass dish so that it can begin to take a square form. If you use a round dish or a bowl, it will be in a ball and you will have to stretch it out and work it into a square after it rises. This would defeat the purpose of rising it because you would be destroying all the air pockets you just created.

    spread the oil around to the edges and
    sides

    Add the dough to the oiled dish. Press the dough to the corners of the dish.

    Cover this and let it sit somewhere warm for about 2 hours. After 2 hours it should have doubled in size.

    Dough for the ciabatta rolls in a glass square dish

    Turn your dough onto a lightly floured surface. Be very gentle with the dough, you don't want to destroy any of the air pockets you just created. Flour a knife and cut them into 10 squares that are roughly the same size. Flouring the knife helps so that it doesn't stick to the dough.

    Dough for the ciabatta rolls on a floured surface

    Transfer your rolls to a baking tray (or trays) lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Let them sit for another 20 minutes until they have risen more. At this point, you can preheat your oven to 415 degrees F.

    before
    after 20 minutes

    HOW TO BAKE CIABATTA ROLLS

    Now it is finally time to bake the rolls! Bake them for 20 minutes until they are golden brown. They may not be the perfect square shape, but that is okay!

    ciabatta rolls on a baking sheet after baking

    You can store them in an airtight container for about 3 days at room temperature. Or, store them in the freezer if you can't use them. You don't want them to get stale!

    ciabatta rolls on top of an old burlap bag

    More Homemade Bread Recipes you're going to love!

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    • Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
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    • The Best Sourdough Focaccia Bread
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    • Sourdough Taco Shells

    If you try my Ciabatta Bread Rolls Recipe, please let me know your thoughts by leaving a rating and comment below! Ready for more? Subscribe to my newsletter or follow along on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube!

    ciabatta rolls

    Ciabatta Rolls

    My easy ciabatta rolls are made with all purpose flour. Soft and chewy ciabatta rolls with all purpose flour instead of bread flour can be made in just a couple of hours. No overnight proofing required. My easy ciabatta bread rolls only require 5 simple ingredients that you probably already have!
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    resting time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 3 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
    Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 10 rolls
    Calories 206 kcal

    Equipment

    • parchment paper or baking mat
    • 9" square baking dish

    Ingredients
      

    • 4 ⅛ cups all purpose flour, or white wheat flour for a chewier texture, use bread flour
    • 2 teaspoon pink sea salt or regular table salt
    • 2 ¼ teaspoon fast action yeast see instructions if using active dry
    • 2 tablespoon olive oil plus extra for rising
    • 1 ¾-2 cups room temperature water

    Instructions
     

    Fast action method:

    • Combine the flour and fast action yeast. Add the water and olive oil. Mix to combine. Add the salt and mix again. (continue past the active dry method to the next steps)

    Active dry method:

    • Mix the active dry yeast with 1 teaspoon of sugar and ¼ cup of warm water. Let sit until frothy. You will see it activating. If it is not frothy, you either have dead yeast or the water was too hot and killed it.
    • Add the rest of the water, the flour, and the olive oil, mix to combine. Add the salt and mix.
    • At this point the dough should be very sticky. It is not a typical dough where you want it to be non-sticky. If it is not sticking to your hands, add ⅛ cup more water at a time as needed.
    • Knead the bread in the bowl (or on the counter if you prefer). You will want to knead it until it can stretch at least 3-4 inches without breaking.
    • Once you have kneaded it sufficiently, place it in a greased square baking dish. Cover with a towel and place in a warm area for ~2 hours. The dough should double in size.
    • Preheat the oven to 415 degrees F.
    • Turn the dough onto a very lightly floured surface. Cut it into 10 even buns. Try to get them as even as possible and being gentle with the dough so it stays in a square shape & keeps the air inside. It helps to put flour on the knife when you cut the dough so the knife doesn't stick.
    • Transfer them onto your parchment paper or baking mat lined trays. Gently shape them into a square if they have lost a bit of shape.
    • Cover them again and let them sit ~20 minutes to proof. They should almost double in size while sitting again.
    • Bake for 20-25 minutes in the pre-heated oven or until golden brown on top.
    • Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the freezer if you can't use them all at once.

    Notes

    I used all purpose flour for this because, really I didn't have any bread flour and didn't want to go into the cold to get some! I used all purpose flour and they came out great! But, if you like that very chewy classic ciabatta texture, I would use a bread flour. It has more protein which helps it to produce more gluten and become chewier. 
    Find the silicone baking mat I like to use for all my baking on the Kitchen Gadget's page of my Amazon Shop account.
     
    Nutrition facts for any recipe on thehintofrosemary are only an estimate. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1ciabatta rollCalories: 206kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 5gFat: 2.8gSaturated Fat: 0.4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 465mgFiber: 1gCalcium: 6mgIron: 2.18mg
    Keyword breadrecipe, ciabatta, ciabattabread, ciabattaroll, homemadebread
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      5 from 4 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Virginia

      March 03, 2020 at 4:15 pm

      5 stars
      I like the idea of using the all-purpose flour when I'm out of bread flour! I will have to try this out!

    2. [email protected]

      March 04, 2020 at 1:53 pm

      Yes! I actually didn't plan to make the recipe with this flour, but since it turned out so good I'm definitely doing it again 🙂

    3. Aley

      October 26, 2021 at 4:36 pm

      5 stars
      I love ciabatta but have never attempted to make it because it seems so difficult.. This recipe was super easy to follow, and it turned out so well! I'll have to try it with bread flour next time to see the difference. Thanks so much for an awesome recipe!

    4. [email protected]

      November 01, 2021 at 8:57 pm

      I'm so glad they turned out great for you! Ciabatta is so good! <3

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    Rosemary Squires registered dietitian of the hint of rosemary blog

    Hi, I'm Rosemary, a registered dietitian and proud mom to a lively toddler. Back in 2015, I launched Hint of Rosemary to share my genuine passion for delicious and enjoyable healthy eating.

    In our home, I celebrate the delightful fusion of American and Jordanian cuisines, drawing inspiration from the rich tapestry of Arabic cuisine, and striving to create a harmonious blend of cultures. My hope is that you'll find inspiration here and, above all, savor every bite.

    More about me →

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