Italian · Breads & baking

Rustic ciabatta loaves

Name: Rustic ciabatta loaves
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 17 h 10 min
Yield: 2 small loaves
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 3 3/4 cups (450 grams) bread flour, divided; 1 3/4 cups (400 grams) water, divided; 1/4 teaspoon plus 1 teaspoon instant yeast, divided; 2 teaspoons fine sea salt; 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; Semolina or flour, for dusting

Two flour-dusted Italian slipper loaves with crackly crusts and an irregular open crumb for sandwiches or olive oil.

About 17 hr 10 minTotal

About 1 hr 10 minActive

$Cost

AdvancedDifficulty

Makes 2 small loaves

Equipment

Bench scraper
A similarly sized 13 × 18-inch rimmed pan works; smaller pans make a thicker pizza.
Best starting point
Nordic Ware Naturals Half Sheet · 43100
View at Amazon
Another workable path: A similarly sized 13 × 18-inch rimmed pan works; smaller pans make a thicker pizza.
Paid links. As an Amazon Associate, Kwilt earns from qualifying purchases.
How we chose
Research-backed · reviewed Aug 2026
We compared exact half-sheet geometry, uncoated material, reinforced construction, heat limit, care, stable model identity, and the exact Amazon destination. Manufacturer specifications establish model 43100 and its UPC, while America's Test Kitchen reports comparative cooking and handling results. Kwilt has not baked with this pan.
Nordic Ware Naturals Half Sheet · 43100: Its 13-by-18-inch footprint gives this soft dough the intended thickness, and the uncoated aluminum supports browning on the oiled bottom. Trade-off: Hand washing is recommended, and acidic tomato left on uncoated aluminum can discolor or pit the surface over time.
Another workable path: Use another rimmed half sheet only if its outside dimensions are close to 13 by 18 inches. A smaller pan makes a thicker pizza and needs its own bake adjustment.
Sources
Nordic Ware product details
America's Test Kitchen result
Nordic Ware model and UPC registry
Amazon exact product listing
Empty metal steam pan

Ingredients

1× recipe · Makes 2 small loaves

3 3/4 cups (450 grams) bread flour, divided
1 3/4 cups (400 grams) water, divided
1/4 teaspoon plus 1 teaspoon instant yeast, divided
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Semolina or flour, for dusting

Instructions

The night before, stir 1 3/4 cups (210 grams) flour, 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (200 grams) water, and 1/4 teaspoon yeast into a thick biga. Cover and leave at cool room temperature 10 to 14 hours until domed, webbed, and aromatic.
Add remaining water, yeast, flour, salt, and olive oil. Squeeze and fold until combined. Over 2 hours perform four coil-fold sets 30 minutes apart, lifting the center so ends tuck underneath, until the very wet dough becomes elastic and bubbly.
Dust a work surface and two parchment rectangles generously. Ease dough out without deflating, divide in half, and use a bench scraper to nudge each into a 10-by-4-inch slipper shape. Transfer to parchment, dust, cover, and proof 45 to 60 minutes until pillowy.
Heat oven to 475°F with an inside and an empty metal pan on the lowest rack. Slide loaves and parchment onto the hot surface, pour 1 cup boiling water into the lower pan, and close the door immediately; keep face and hands clear of steam.
Bake 10 minutes, remove the steam pan if safe, reduce to 450°F, and bake 12 to 16 minutes more until deep golden and 205–210°F. Cool 90 minutes. This is the batch's one true project: preferment, wet-dough folds, gentle division, steam, and overnight scheduling are intrinsic.

Adria, Veneto, ItalyVeneto · modern Italian bread created in the early 1980s

From the table

About this recipe

Unlike many old breads with contested origins, ciabatta has a modern documented story. The Veneto regional record describes ciabatta polesana as created in Adria in 1982 through work by Arnaldo Cavallari and Francesco Favaron, using more water and long fermentation to produce its flat shape, crisp crust, and open crumb.

The Italian word means “slipper,” matching the broad, low loaf. Ciabatta spread quickly through Italian and international baking, developing many formulas. This version uses an overnight biga, very wet final dough, coil folds, gentle slipper shaping, and oven steam to reproduce the defining structure without claiming to be the proprietary original.

Sources

Dinner does not stop at the recipe