Sourdough Ciabatta Bread | Airy, Chewy & Crispy
Sourdough Ciabatta Bread
Crispy crust. Chewy center. BIG beautiful holes. This naturally fermented sourdough ciabatta is rustic, airy and packed with the kind of open crumb that makes bakers very happy.
Don't Let the Wet Dough Scare You
If you've ever wondered how bakers get those enormous irregular holes inside ciabatta, here's the secret: the dough is supposed to be wet. This high-hydration sourdough dough uses fermentation, stretch-and-folds and gentle handling to create that unmistakable airy interior.
The Dough Is Supposed to Feel Different
With roughly 80% hydration, this is not the kind of dough you'll casually knead on the counter. It will feel sticky and loose. That's exactly what you want.
Instead of adding more flour and fighting the dough, you'll gradually build strength with stretch-and-folds. As fermentation progresses, the dough becomes smoother, stronger and more elastic.
- Active sourdough starter
- Warm water
- Bread flour
- Sea salt
- Olive oil
- High-hydration dough
- Stretch-and-fold technique
A Little Peek at the Ciabatta Magic
We're giving you the highlights here. The complete recipe includes exact measurements, stretch-and-fold timing, fermentation cues, shaping instructions, steam-baking directions and cooling guidance.
🥣 Mix the Dough
The starter and warm water are combined first, followed by the flour, salt and olive oil. Mix until everything is hydrated and then let the dough rest before beginning the strength-building process.
💪 Build Strength Without Kneading
A series of gentle stretch-and-folds gradually transforms the wet dough. Each round builds more structure while keeping the dough light enough to develop those beautiful internal bubbles.
⏳ Watch the Fermentation
This is where the dough really comes alive. Look for increased volume, bubbles along the sides, a rounded surface and a gentle jiggle rather than relying entirely on the clock.
🔥 Bake With Steam
A thoroughly preheated 450°F oven and steam help the loaves expand quickly before the crust sets, creating that crisp exterior and beautifully developed ciabatta structure.
🫧 The Biggest Secret to Big Ciabatta Holes?
Don't destroy them. Once fermentation has created all those precious bubbles, aggressive shaping, kneading or pressing can knock them right back out. When it comes to ciabatta, gentle handling wins.
Five Things Working Together Create That Open Crumb
There isn't one magic trick behind great ciabatta. The signature texture comes from several small decisions made throughout the process.
💧 1. High Hydration
The wetter dough creates the potential for a more open interior. Resist the urge to bury it in extra flour.
🌱 2. Strong Fermentation
Your sourdough starter needs to be active enough to produce plenty of gas and give the dough the lift it needs.
💪 3. Gluten Development
Stretch-and-folds gradually create the strength needed to hold all those beautiful fermentation bubbles.
✋ 4. Gentle Handling
The less you aggressively reshape the dough, the more of that hard-earned gas remains trapped inside.
🔥 And Number 5: A Very Hot Oven
Strong heat and steam help the ciabatta expand rapidly before the crust sets. That's how you turn all that fermentation work into a beautifully risen, golden loaf.
Then Comes the Best Part
Ciabatta is one of those breads that somehow makes everything around it better. Its chewy, open interior is perfect for soaking up olive oil, sauces and sandwich fillings.
- Dip it in good olive oil
- Build an incredible sandwich
- Make an Italian-style panini
- Serve alongside soup
- Use it for bruschetta
- Pair it with pasta and sauces
- Eat it warm with butter
A Few Things to Remember
Ciabatta rewards patience and confidence. The dough may look intimidating at first, but the process is surprisingly straightforward.
💧 Wet Hands Beat More Flour
Lightly wet your hands when working with the dough. It's much better than continuously adding flour and accidentally changing the dough's hydration.
⏳ Watch the Dough
Kitchen temperature and starter strength can dramatically affect fermentation. Learn to recognize a puffy, bubbly and lively dough.
✋ Touch Less
Ciabatta isn't supposed to look perfectly shaped. Rustic is the goal. Let the dough keep the bubbles you've spent hours creating.
❄️ Cool Before Cutting
The crumb continues setting as the bread cools. Cutting too soon can compress the interior and make a beautiful loaf seem gummy.
⚠️ Squirrelly Girl Baker's Warning
You will cut into the loaf looking for those giant ciabatta holes. If they're there, you WILL immediately take approximately 47 pictures of the crumb and send them to people who absolutely did not ask to see bread pictures. Welcome to sourdough. 😂🥖
Ready to Chase Those Giant Ciabatta Holes?
We've saved the full recipe for you — including exact measurements, stretch-and-fold instructions, fermentation cues, shaping guidance, steam-baking instructions and everything you need to create that crisp, airy, chewy ciabatta.
🥖 Get the Full Sourdough Ciabatta RecipeGreat Ciabatta Starts With Great Starter
A strong, active sourdough starter is the foundation for naturally fermented bread with incredible flavor and texture.
Get Squirrelly Girl Sourdough Starter →Our 100% Activation Guarantee
Zero Risk. Zero Guesswork. Just Real Sourdough.
Bake or Get Covered: If your starter fails to activate into a bubbly, active, bake-ready culture.
We’ll either send you a fresh replacement batch completely free or issue a 100% refund.
No hoops to jump through, no complicated returns, and no hard feelings.