Sourdough Ciabatta Rolls

These easy sourdough ciabatta rolls have a chewy crust and fluffy inside. The recipe is very much hands off and one of my easiest sourdough recipes to date.

Sourdough doesn’t have to be intimidating

Essentially, what differentiates yeasted breads with naturally leavened breads (aka sourdough breads) is, well the first being, yeasted breads are known to be made fast. Commercial/store bought yeast will make a loaf of bread in a matter of a few hours. Sourdough, on the other hand, is cultivated from wild yeasts and bacteria that naturally leaven breads. Leaven, or levain, is a mixture of flour, water, and time.

Baking with sourdough means your breads will simply take longer and that’s ok. It’s typical to see a sourdough recipe take 4 to 24 hours (my whole wheat sourdough pizza dough recipe can take up to 3 days, but the dough is so worth it.) The great thing about baking with sourdough is that the process is very much hands-off. Time allows the dough to ferment and grow the wild yeasts and bacteria in order to make a successful loaf.

This recipe is one of those. And it’s so, so stinking easy. I’d recommend it for the sourdough newbie who’s just embarking on their sourdough journey. Be sure your starter is strong and your levain is bubbly. With just a few stretch-and-folds, resting in the fridge, and shaping, I guarantee you’ll feel proud after baking these sourdough ciabatta rolls.

What is a ciabatta roll?

The lovely ciabatta rolls reign from Italy. The name refers to a “slipper”, due to the roll resembling the shoe it’s named after. Personally, I want to snuggle into my pair of slippers whenever I eat ciabatta. It’s THAT comforting!

During the time ciabatta was created, the French Baguette was extremely popular in Europe. The main difference between the two is that ciabatta has much more water (or “hydration”) added to the dough. This makes the holes (or “crumb”) inside the bread much larger than those in a baguette.

Tools needed to make Sourdough Ciabatta Rolls

• Large bowl
• Standing mixer with dough hook or large spatula (I mix the dough with my hand or spatula every time. It’s a very wet dough, meaning it’s very easy to handle by hand!)
• Parchment paper
• Large baking sheet
• Digital timer (these are my favorite)

Ingredients to make Sourdough Ciabatta Rolls

• 100 grams (about 1/2 cup) bubbly levain or active starter (see notes on bubbly levain)
• 365 grams (about 1 3/4 cup) warm water
• 450 grams (about 3 1/2 cups) all-purpose or bread flour
• 10-15 grams (2-2 1/2 tsp) fine sea salt

This recipe will make 8 sourdough ciabatta rolls, though in my pictures below, I doubled the recipe for a family vacation! I can’t travel without bringing some type of sourdough anymore.

How to make Sourdough Ciabatta Rolls

1. Mix Ingredients: In a large bowl, mix together bubbly levain or active starter with warm water. Add all-purpose or bread flour and fine sea salt. Mix all ingredients until flour is completely saturated and dough feels “shaggy”.
2. Autolyse: Cover dough and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
3. Stretch-and-Fold: Uncover the dough and perform 3 sets of stretch-and-folds every 30 minutes: Do this by scooping your hand under the dough while grabbing the edge of the dough, pull the dough up and over the opposite side. The dough should stick together. Rotate your bowl 1/4th of a turn and stretch-and-fold the next edge. Do this a total of 4 times until all of the dough has been stretched and folded over itself. Cover dough and set a timer for 30 minutes then complete another round of stretch-and-folds. Do this for a total of 3 sets, every 30 minutes.

4. Bulk Fermentation: After 3 rounds of stretch-and-folds, cover dough and leave at room temperature to double in size. Depending on the temperature of your home, this could take anywhere to 3-6 hours. Once the dough has doubled in size, place covered dough in the fridge for 4-24 hours.

5. Shape: Remove dough from fridge and remove covering. Generously sprinkle the top of the dough with flour then remove dough to a floured work surface. With a gentle, flat hand, pat the dough into a rectangle shape. Use a sharp knife or bench scraper to cut the dough into 8 equal pieces. Transfer each piece of dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. As you transfer, give the dough a gentle “tug” so that it stretches into a longer, more rectangular shape before placing it on the baking sheet.

6. Bake: Bake at 475 degrees for 25 minutes or until tops of ciabatta rolls are golden brown. Transfer baked ciabatta onto a cooling rack and wait 20 minutes before slicing into.

My absolute favorite way to eat sourdough anything is with room temperature butter, drizzled honey, and a pinch of sea salt. It’s heavenly. Enjoy!

More Sourdough Recipes from Trout Lily Heritage

• Intro to Sourdough & Sourdough Starter
• How to make Sourdough Levain
• Easy, Fluffy Sourdough Tortillas
• The Easiest Rosemary, Garlic, & Parmesan Sourdough Focaccia
• Converting a wet sourdough starter to a dry sourdough starter
• Sourdough Zucchini Bread
• Whole Wheat Sourdough Pizza Dough