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    Home » Sourdough Bread Recipes

    How to make whole wheat ciabatta bread

    Published: Jun 10, 2020 · Modified: Mar 2, 2025

    whole wheat ciabatta bread
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Whole wheat ciabatta bread. Make bakery style whole wheat ciabatta bread right in your own kitchen! No dutch oven required for this ciabatta bread!

    My Whole Wheat Ciabatta Bread Recipe is:

    • Crispy on the outside
    • Chewy on the inside
    • Full of holes!
    • Flavorful
    • Gut healthy

    Ever since I learned how to make ciabatta bread at home I have been obsessed with it! All it takes is a little patience with waiting for it to rise multiple times, and you can get that perfectly chewy ciabatta bread. But, I wanted to make a healthier option with more fiber.

    I was looking on line for some recipes and all that claimed "whole wheat" in the title were mixed with all purpose flour... I was confused. So I looked back at my all-purpose flour recipe, looked up some food chemistry tips on changing the yeast, water, salt, etc. for the wheat flour version. And I came up with an amazing recipe! So if you want to learn how to make whole wheat ciabatta bread, read on!

    Something interesting that I found out when converting all-purpose flour to whole wheat flour was that whole wheat flour actually requires LESS yeast!

    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.

    TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST WHOLE WHEAT CIABATTA BREAD

    YES, ADD THE TEASPOON OF WATER. That tiny bit of water in your ciabatta dough WILL make a difference. When converting all purpose flour to whole wheat flour, the recipe will require an additional teaspoon of water for every half cup of whole wheat flour.

    KEEP KNEADING YOUR CIABATTA BREAD UNTIL IT IS SHINY. You will know the gluten has developed enough when the ciabatta bread dough looks slightly shiny or glossy.

    DON'T SKIP THE STRETCH & FOLDS. Stretching and folding the dough is necessary to develop the gluten and aerate it for those signature ciabatta air pockets.

    BE GENTLE SHAPING YOUR CIABATTA LOAVES. Once your loaves are shaped, be gentle with them and don't pop any bubbles. Those bubbles will bake into your bread and become nice big air pockets!

    ADD MOISTURE DURING THE BEGINNING OF BAKING. Spraying your dough with water in the first couple minutes of baking is necessary to get a perfect crispy ciabatta bread shell.

    FAQ'S

    Frequently asked questions about homemade whole wheat ciabatta bread.

    Is whole meal the same as whole wheat ciabatta?

    Whole meal, whole wheat and whole grain bread are basically different terms for the same thing and all are considered wholegrain. Whole grain means, the entire grain was ground up to make a flour. My wholemeal ciabatta bread recipe is made with all whole wheat flour and is considered whole grain! (Read that again three times fast! 🙂 )

    What makes ciabatta bread different?

    Ciabatta is a type of bread that is unique for its holes. It has a signature crispy shell and chewy center.

    What is a sponge for ciabatta bread?

    A sponge?! When I first read about the sponge needed for ciabatta bread I was like what the heck is that.

    Well, think of it as the starter for your dough.. a preferment. If you play with any sourdough recipes, you could also think of it as a baby sourdough starter.. but the ciabatta version since you're using commercial yeast, and not wild like with sourdough.

    Why is ciabatta bread healthy?

    Traditional ciabatta bread is not the healthiest bread. Ciabatta is high in refined white flour and has nearly zero grams of fiber. Whole grain ciabatta bread, on the other hand, is higher in protein and fiber, both of which will lower the blood glucose spike. And fiber is excellent for your gut health! Plus the whole grain provides several minerals and B vitamins.

    Why is my ciabatta bread not crispy?

    The main reason your crust is soft is lack of moisture during cooking. Your bread could also be moist from not using a cooling rack to allow air to circulate during cooling. Ciabatta bread is very moist on the inside and needs to be cooled on a rack.

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    WHOLE WHEAT CIABATTA BREAD INGREDIENTS

    pre-ferment/sponge:

    • 1 cup whole wheat flour
    • ⅛ teaspoon instant yeast
    • ½ cup room temperature water + 2 teaspoons

    ciabatta bread dough:

    • 2 cups whole wheat flour
    • 2 teaspoons pink sea salt
    • ¼ teaspoon instant yeast
    • ¾ cup room temperature water + 4 teaspoons
    • ⅛ cup plain yogurt

    kneading/rolling:

    • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
    • ½ cup all-purpose flour (can use whole wheat)

    HOW TO MAKE WHOLE WHEAT CIABATTA BREAD AT HOME

    STEP 1: MAKE THE SPONGE

    Make the sponge right in the bowl of your standing mixer. There really is no need to use a separate bowl because you will add the rest of your ingredients to the sponge after it ferments anyway.

    For your sponge, add the following ingredients to your bowl:

    • 1 cup whole wheat flour
    • ⅛ teaspoon instant yeast
    • ½ cup + 2 teaspoons of room temperature water

    Cover your bowl with a towel and let it sit 8-24 hours at room temperature. Times may vary depending on the season and how warm it is in your house. Hotter temperatures= shorter fermentation. Cooler temperatures= longer fermentation.

    I usually make this in the evening and then finish it the next afternoon.

    This is what it looked like before fermenting:

    making the bread sponge

    How to tell if your sponge is ready? Well, look at the picture below for a reference!

    Your sponge should be almost triple the size as before AND have a lot of bubbles in it!

    This is what it looked like after 14 hours:

    sponge

    STEP 2: MAKE WHOLE WHEAT CIABATTA BREAD DOUGH

    Now that you have patiently waited for your sponge to become bubbly and active, you can add the rest of your ingredients.

    Add the following ingredients right on top of your sponge:

    • 2 cups whole wheat flour
    • 2 teaspoons pink sea salt
    • ¼ teaspoon instant yeast
    • ¾ cups + 4 teaspoons room temperature water
    • ⅛ cup plain yogurt
    adding the flour and water to the sponge in a standing mixer

    Turn your mixer on the lowest setting and let it mix tor ~4-6 minutes.

    You may have to turn off your mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl once.

    Mix it till it looks like this:

    Look at the strength of this dough that it is clinging to the paddle!!

    dough on the paddle attachment in the standing mixer

    Next, change to a hook attachment.

     dough before it is kneaded with a hook in the standing mixer

    Dial it up to the speed #2 or #3 and allow it to run for ~10 minutes.

    How to tell if your whole wheat ciabatta bread dough is ready:

    1. It will NOT be sticky (tacky, yes, especially if you live in a humid climate, but the dough will not be on your fingers)
    2. It will be shiny

    And yes! Ciabatta is a very wet dough and will look like this when it is ready:

    showing the strength of the whole wheat ciabatta bread  dough on the hook in a standing mixer

    Transfer your dough to a clean bowl.

    Cover it with a towel

    Let it rise somewhere warm for 2 hours.

    STEP 3: MULTIPLE RISING TIMES WITH STRETCH & FOLDS

    TIP: if you have a cold house or it is winter time, wrap the bowl with a towel to insulate it and place it in the microwave or stove (turned off of course) to rise.

    After 2 hours it is time for the first "stretch and fold." Basically, you are stretching the dough up towards the ceiling and in towards the center. This helps to strengthen the dough by developing the gluten, aerating it, and dispersing the yeast.

    HOW TO STRETCH AND FOLD YOUR CIABATTA DOUGH:

    Drizzle your dough with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Rub the oil all over the dough.

    oil on the whole wheat ciabatta bread dough before stretching and folding

    Stretch the dough up towards the ceiling, and then fold it towards the center.

    Do this 8 times, working around the sides of the dough.

    Next, cover it with a towel and let it rest 1 hour.

    process of stretching and folding whole wheat ciabatta bread dough

    After 1 hour, you will repeat the stretch and fold process again.

    Cover it with the towel again.

    Let it rest another hour.

    stretch and folded whole wheat ciabatta bread dough

    An hour after your second stretch and fold, you should have a fluffy dough like this:

    whole wheat ciabatta bread dough in a stainless steel bowl

    If it is not doubled in size, don't rush! Let the dough sit longer to rise. The rising is necessary to get those ciabatta air pockets!

    Look at the texture and all those air pockets!

    Even though I couldn't help myself to show you guys the texture, you want to be very careful to NOT deflate the bubbles!

    whole wheat ciabatta bread  dough puffy

    STEP 4: MAKE 2 LOAVES OF BREAD & RISE AGAIN

    HOW TO SHAPE WHOLE WHEAT CIABATTA BREAD LOAVES

    Now it is time to shape your bread!

    Gently turn your dough onto a floured surface.

    Using a pastry cutter, or a sharp knife, cut your dough in half.

    dividing whole wheat ciabatta bread dough in half to form 2 loaves on a floured surface

    Gently press each of them into ~6 x 12 inch rectangle. This is about the size of a standard sheet of paper.

    TIP: be VERY gentle with your dough and try to keep the air pockets intact. DO NOT USE A ROLLING PIN!

    Fold your dough towards the center (kind of like a letter!)

    folding whole wheat ciabatta bread  on a floured surface

    Fold it the other side on top:

    whole wheat ciabatta bread dough on a floured surface

    Make sure you put your dough SEAM SIDE DOWN.

    Let your shaped loaves rest on a parchment or baking mat lined tray for another 1 hour, covered lightly with a dry towel.

    This allows those final air pockets to form!

    whole wheat ciabatta bread final proof before it gets baked in the oven

    STEP 5: BAKE YOUR WHOLE WHEAT CIABATTA BREAD USING MOISTURE

    And NOW it is TIME TO BAKE!

    Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Put the rack in the center of the oven to allow even air circulation around your bread.

    You will be baking 1 loaf at a time.

    Using a spray bottle filled with water, spray the outside of your loaf.

    Put it right into the oven.

    Set the timer to 22 minutes.

    Spray it again 3 times during the first 5 minutes of baking.

    Remove your bread from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack.

    And remember what I said about seam side down? I forgot with one of them, as you can see in the picture below. But no worries, because I wasn't taking these anywhere and they tasted amazing!

    how to make whole wheat ciabatta bread

    Just look at the ABSOLUTELY perfect texture!!

    how to make whole wheat ciabatta bread

    If you are a fan of ciabatta bread, you will definitely love this one! I used it to make sandwiches and they were so delicious!

    how to make whole wheat ciabatta bread
    how to make whole wheat ciabatta bread
    how to make whole wheat ciabatta bread

    If you try my Whole Wheat Ciabatta Bread 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!

    Whole Wheat Ciabatta Bread

    Ciabatta bread just got healthier with my whole wheat ciabatta bread! Make sure you let your ciabatta bread rise overnight AND after you have shaped it since this is where those glorious air pockets come from!
    5 from 8 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 14 hours hrs 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time 22 minutes mins
    Total Time 14 hours hrs 42 minutes mins
    Course Appetizer
    Cuisine American
    Servings 2 small loaves
    Calories 85 kcal

    Equipment

    • Standing mixer
    • 2 baking trays
    • parchment paper or a baking mat
    • spray bottle (For water)

    Ingredients
      

    Pre-ferment/sponge:

    • 1 cup whole wheat flour
    • ⅛ tsp instant yeast
    • ½ cup room temperature water + 2 teaspoon

    For the dough:

    • 2 cups whole wheat flour
    • 2 teaspoon pink sea salt
    • ¼ teaspoon instant yeast
    • ¾ cup room temperature water + 4 teaspoon
    • ⅛ cup plain yogurt

    For kneading/rolling:

    • 1-2 tablespoon olive oil
    • ½ cup all-purpose flour

    Instructions
     

    Pre-ferment/sponge:

    • Mix the ingredients for the pre-ferment together in a standing mixer until completely combined. Make sure to add the +2 teaspoons of water I did some food chemistry research and based this recipe off my white flour ciabatta recipe!
    • Cover the bowl with a towel and allow it to sit at room temperature 8-24 hours, or until it is bubbly. I usually let it sit overnight and it works perfectly.

    For the dough:

    • Now that your sponge is bubbly and active, it's time to make the dough. You can add the wheat flour, salt, +¼ teaspoon of instant yeast, water, and plain yogurt right on top of the sponge.
    • Fit your mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix it about 4-6 minutes or until a uniform mass comes together. You may have to turn off your mixer once to scrape the sides of the bowl down.
    • Change your mixer to the hook attachment. Mix on #2 or #3 for ~10 minutes. The dough should look shiny and not be sticky when it is ready.
    • Transfer your dough to a clean bowl and cover it with a towel. Let it rise somewhere warm for 2 hours. If your house is cold you can place it in the microwave or oven and wrap it in a towel to keep it warmer.
    • After it has doubled in size, drizzle the top of the dough with olive oil. Stretch and fold the dough towards the center 8 times. This will help to strengthen the gluten inside the dough.
    • Cover the dough again and let it rest for 1 hour.
    • Stretch and fold the dough 8 more times.
    • Cover the dough again and let it rest for 1 hour (yes a lot of resting time, but you want those bubbles to form for big air pockets!)

    Shaping the loaves:

    • Gently turn your dough to a floured surface. Be very careful with it, you do not want to pop any of the bubbles! (or as few as possible)
    • Cut the dough in half.
    • With each half, gently press it to a 12 x 6 rectangle (about the size of a sheet of paper), be careful to not deflate it. Fold the dough like a letter by folding each long side towards the middle (see pictures above for guidance if needed). Carefully transfer the loaf to a parchment or baking mat lined tray, seam side down. Let it rise 1 hour.
    • Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
    • Spray the loaf with water. Place it in the middle of the oven. Spray it 3 more times with water during the first 5 minutes of baking. This helps to create that crispy outside.
    • Bake it for 22 minutes or until it is golden brown outside. Allow it to cool completely before cutting!
    • Enjoy!

    Notes

    Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1sliceCalories: 85kcalCarbohydrates: 17.8gProtein: 2.4gFat: 0.45gFiber: 0.6g
    Keyword ciabatta, ciabattabread, wheatciabatta, wholewheatbread, wholewheatciabatta
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      5 from 8 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Christie

      June 14, 2020 at 5:28 pm

      5 stars
      I love how your version has more fiber Rosemary! The rise is just perfection and you really nailed it! Thank you for sharing your tried and true recipe.

    2. Rebecca

      June 17, 2020 at 5:38 pm

      5 stars
      Ciabatta is like my all time favorite! It's so great for sammies too. Thanks for the recipe!

    3. [email protected]

      June 18, 2020 at 1:23 pm

      Seeing those perfect air pockets after it is done baking is sooo satisfying! I love making this for sandwiches during the week!

    4. [email protected]

      June 18, 2020 at 1:32 pm

      Ahhh me too! It literally has THE Best texture ever!

    5. Cindy

      January 04, 2022 at 8:48 pm

      5 stars
      Oh my gosh whole wheat ciabatta thank YOU!! Every other whole wheat ciabatta recipe i found does not have 100% wheat (usually half all purpose half wheat) and yours actually does!

    6. Kimberly

      January 24, 2022 at 4:35 pm

      Do you have the conversion for active dry yeast in the recipe? I don’t have instant. Thanks!

    7. Rosemary

      January 25, 2022 at 3:27 pm

      Yes! All you have to do is activate it in warm water instead of the room temp. So use the same amount of active dry in place of instant. And use the same amount of water, but warmed. Mix the active dry into warm water, wait till you see a little foam, then mix it into the flour. Do this for the pre-ferment yeast as well as the dough yeast the following day.

    8. Francie

      April 14, 2022 at 10:45 pm

      5 stars
      Just made this exactly as your recipe and instructions and my loaves came out perfect!!!
      Thank you so much. Ciabatta is my favorite bread (along with sourdough), and this is the first 100% whole wheat recipe I have found and tried. Delicious!

    9. Rosemary

      April 15, 2022 at 5:31 pm

      I'm so happy it came out great for you!!

    10. Arlene Richards

      December 05, 2023 at 1:54 am

      Try this recipe today, but it didn't come out with the bubbles and didn't have the cibatta taste, it came out like regular bread... Will try again, don't know where I went wrong, but I followed the recipe to the end.
      Can someone give me some ideas???

    11. Rosemary

      January 08, 2024 at 1:24 am

      Hi!! Sometimes the wheat ciabatta has to be fermented for longer so make sure it has risen enough! And also when transferring it for baking, be very gentle as to not pop any bubbles. Let me know if this helps!

    12. Anonymous

      January 10, 2025 at 7:34 pm

      Not sure what went wrong but dough did not appear shiny and was sticky so had to mix longer to get slightly shiny and less sticky. Very difficult to fold as it was a very dense dough. I am assuming it will end up being a tough bread when cooked, disappointing considering the time it took to prepare. I am not giving a poor rating because perhaps I did something something wrong. Maybe I overworked the dough? I have made white flour ciabatta in the past with excellent results.

    13. Rosemary

      January 18, 2025 at 6:15 pm

      Hi! I'm sorry to hear that happened! Maybe try sifting the flour? It sounds like there was a little too much flour- hope this helps!

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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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