No Knead Ciabatta Bread
No Dutch oven needed. You can start this dough the night before by switching to COOL water and let the dough rest overnight on the counter top for 8 to 24 hours. Aerate your flour before measuring! - Jenny Jones
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours, 10 minutes
Makes: One loaf
Ingredients:
- 3 cups all-purpose or bread flour (390 gms)
- 1/4 teaspoon yeast (active dry or instant)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups hot water, not boiling (354 mL) - about 125-130° F
- (about 2 Tablespoons extra flour for shaping)
Instructions:
- Combine flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Stir in water until it’s well combined.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 3 hours.
- After 3 hours dough will become puffy and dotted with bubbles. Transfer it to a well-floured surface and sprinkle dough with a little flour. Using a scraper fold dough over 10-12 times & shape or stretch into a rough 12-inch loaf.
- Place on a parchment paper-lined baking pan (not wax paper) and cover with a towel. Let stand on counter top for 35 minutes.
- Meantime place a disposable 6-cup muffin pan or other small pan in the oven, making sure there is room for your bread pan - if not, place the small pan on a lower rack. Preheat oven to 450° F.
- After a 35-minute rest, the dough will puff up a little. Place it in the oven and carefully pour about 3/4 cup of hot or boiling water into 3 or 4 muffin cups or small pan. Close oven door immediately and bake for 30 minutes.
Note: There's lots more on this recipe in my blog. Click here..
Jenny’s right: follow the recipe and instructions exactly, and bake as instructed, regardless. Today was my third loaf of Ciabatta using the quicker 3-hours method. My loaf looked more like a doughy puddle as I put it into the oven. I was convinced the finished product was a flop when I removed the golden ‘puddle’ 30 minutes later. I brushed some butter across the top and set it aside to cool as I finished preparing dinner. My son wondered what I had baked because it sure didn’t resemble my previous Ciabatta loaves. I was grumbling about it being a lost cause as he cut it into pieces to serve. Imagine my surprise when we realized it was perfect: good crumb, tender texture, and great flavor. This loaf didn’t resemble the picture as my previous loaves did, but it was a success. My son said it was ‘ perfectly rustic’ as he bit into his second piece. I don’t talk when my mouth is full, so I just nodded enthusiastically. 👍
I am in love with Jenny’s baking section, both breads and desserts/cakes. We reckon the number of recipes we’ve made from her website would easily hit the hundred mark. Her video clips are short and sweet, the recipes never mess around or leave open questions – husband, friends, guests, they all agree, Jenny defnitely can cook AND bake!!! Thank you so much for keeping us interested in trying new recipes; just made my first ciabatta, 5 stars!
You say 3 cups if flour is 390 grams but when I look up 3 cups to grams in google, they say 360. I am confused
It confuses me too. Please see my Metric link above. https://www.jennycancook.com/metric-conversion-chart/
First time….it’s a keeper. The crust is chewy, the flavor is spot on and easy to make. Mine didn’t have a lot of air bubbles inside like a true ciabatta…. But I’ll be making this again.
I have made this twice now and I’m still not having any luck getting bread with lots of air holes. I have even tried increasing the yeast to see if that was a problem and that didn’t make any difference either. I have tried the water to 125 and also 116 and that didn’t make any difference. I have made lots of bread in the past and I just don’t know what I’m doing wrong or what I could change. I really love the idea of this recipe So if you have any suggestions, I would greatly appreciate it
Are you packing the flour when you measure? If you are that could be a problem. But if you are not maybe you are mixing too hard or folding too many times? I hope this helps
I am 90 years old, and been making bread for years. This is absolutely the best and also the easiest bread to make the only changes I did was left all night rising and finished in the morning. I brushed it with beaten with egg white and sprinkled it with sesame seeds, my friend also went crazy over this and wanted the recipe. Thank you so much OK
Thanks for your input on this recipe. At what stage are you leaving the dough to rise overnight? Is it at the initial stage in the bowl or once the loaf has been formed?
I make this ciabatta bread quite often and it always turns out perfect. Last night I decided to make the overnight version. Mixed the dough at 11:30 p.m and the next morning ing at around 10 I went to turn it out and there was liquid pooled everywhere! Has this happened to anyone else?
That might have happened if you used hot water…
Girl, how the heck did mine not rise?! I followed recipe exactly-aerated, measured, temped the water, I have a proof setting on my oven that makes it the perfect place to rise… I did use all purpose flour? I made sure my yeast wasn’t expired… I’m so sad. I wanted to make Italian subs 😭
These might help: https://www.jennycancook.com/no-knead-bread-solutions/
Made this recipe today and i used about 25 extra grams of flour. also i used a combination of bread and all purpose flour. Turned out great. i baked it on a heated inverted pan for 25 minutes and it was perfect! It rose quite well and has all the characteristic holes. Thanks jenny!
Also I forgot to say that after the first day I sliced the remaining half loaf and stored it in a ziploc bag for 2 or 3 days and it made perfect toast and grilled cheese sandwiches! I’m off to make another loaf right now while the kids are in school!
You made a different recipe
No, i made Jenny’s recipe. If you’ve been baking long enough, and well enough for a period of time you would know that varying amounts of flour in a bread recipe is quite normal. So unless you have something constructive to say….keep it to yourself.
I shaped the dough into 4 logs and baked into hoagie rolls. Worked great. I didn’t want the rolls too crunchy, so put into a freezer bag after cooling. While the calorie count is high (4 servings per loaf), they worked great and stood up to the spicy Italian sub filling.
This recipe turned out so well for me! I’m already making another loaf two days after the first! Thank you so much, Jenny! 😄😄😄
Can this recipe be doubled?
Hi Jenny,
Just had to write to let you know that I really appreciate you posting your bread recipes. Your no knead recipes are my go to. I always used to think that the overnight method of allowing the bread to rise would be the best but recently I have switched to your 3 hour method for making my breads and I find they are actually better than the overnight method-for some reason I get more air bubbles in my bread which is exactly what I want for my morning toast with peanut butter .Thanks again .
I first made this Ciabatta recipe about 6 months ago, it came out so delicious that I literally make 2 loaves every other day! My family cannot get enough of this Ciabatta bread. This has a crispy crust on the outside with a beautiful soft airy inside that make it the most delicious ciabatta bread I have ever had. It’s so easy to make! This is just the best Ciabatta bread ever!
I haven’t made this in a while. OMG……delicious as usual. Total perfection.
Hello I have been making this recipe for the last several years at the elevation of 6,600 ft and it has worked out great. I have recently moved to 8000 feet and have tried making it twice now and each time the dough seems to be more wet which is strange because I read at high elevations you want to add more water sometimes but that’s definitely not the case in this recipe. I basically just followed it to a T like I usually do and the outer shell is perfect but it seems very moist inside and like it’s not cooking the whole way through at the 30 minutes. The rise seems fine and it’s not collapsing. Do you have any tips with this particular recipe in cooking at this elevation? Thanks so much.
I just made this recipe from Jim Lahey’s cookbook. It’s the same ingredients (he calls for bread flour) but he makes two loaves from the recipe. I used a cast iron skillet with a lid and baked covered for 20 minutes. Bake uncovered for an additional 10 to 20 minutes until the top is nicely browned.
I’m still experimenting and use bread flour. Recipes with very little yeast and long rise times seem to work best.
I forgot to mention I use a scale. Higher elevation is drier so the amount of flour you scoop may have changed from lower elevations. My dough was very sticky. Good luck and keep experimenting.
I made the bread today followed instruction correctly I did not like the texture inside the bread
Fabulous loaf.. making it again tomorrow.. used the overnight method. Just fantastic. I prefer to use a baking pan though.. gives a little more structure.
Fabulous loaf.. making it again tomorrow.. used they overnight method. Just fantastic.
I’ve made this bread recipe many times and it’s recently no longer working for me. I’m not doing ANYTHING differently!! It’s not rising. I’ve replaced my flour, my yeast, using the same water from the tap, same temp. Someone suggested trying it with no salt. Seems crazy to left out one of 4 ingredients….but I’m trying it now. Any other suggestions?
If your yeast is even 2 or 3 degrees too warm it will kill the yeast. That might be happening. I get nervous if my water is over 110 degrees.
Try bottled or filtered water.
I’d made Jenny’s regular (round) no-knead bread many times during covid and finally tried this one. Wow- sooo good. It makes THE BEST toast. Highly recommend. Thanks, Jenny!
I would like to try using a pizza stone instead of a baking pan or sheet for the ciabatta bread. Any ideas about whether/how I would need to adjust the temperature or time?
Since a pizza stone browns the crust of pizza dough so beautifully, I would think it would bake your. Read beautifully. I plan to try it sometime soon.
Whatever temp you use to bake pizza dough should work fine. Try to check the bottom of bread to see how it is browning up.
Your gloves – I too use gloves when I cook, not always, but mine are disposable. What kind of gloves are you using? Do you use gloves with raw meat and if so, how do you disinfect after raw meat is used?
Jenny,
I’ve made this bread many times and the 1st time was the only one that turned out beautiful. Do you sift your flour, fluff it, or nothing? I think this might be part of my problem. It comes out so dense.
I love your channel, and think you do a great job. Thank you for putting the water temp on your site.
Jenny says to aerate your flour (give it a couple stirs with a spoon before measuring) and then gently scoop the flour into your measuring cup and level it off. Do NOT pack the flour by tapping the cup to settle the flour. You’ll end up with too much flour causing the recipe to turn out too dense.
If you WEIGH your ingredients, there’s no need to aerate your flour.
Not everyone has a scale in their kitchen to weigh their ingredients which is why it’s important to teach them what to do, in this case aerate, to get accurate measures.
Only works when they give the recipe instructions with weights.. didn’t see any weights.
Looks like there are weights there now.
390gms for the flour
354g for the water (1ml water=1g water)
How about giving measurements by cups not everyone uses the metric thanks
When I started baking, I bought a kitchen scale and started using metric weights. Most recipes can be converted or you can find conversion charts online (King Arthur Baking has a great one – almost any ingredient is there). Buy a kitchen scale. You’ll be amazed how much more consistent things turn out. It is worth the investment. Not even that expensive. If you start baking using grams and get used, it is so much easier to convert recipe ingredients using metric than Imperial measurements. It takes very little time to get used to it and it really improves results.
Lovely recipe but it took so long. I prefer the quick bread recipes you have, less than 1/2 the time and they taste fantastic.
Thank you for posting all the great recipes. I made the bread today, it was great! She easy. I used the parchment paper in a 6 quart soup pot with a lid. It was just that easy. Who knew?
I had never made bread b4 I tried this recipe! First time it came out perfect. Tonight I made it again with my granddaughter n it didn’t disappoint. Came out of the oven just in time for dinner. We had to control ourselves nit to eat it all n managed to save some for toast in the a.m.
Unlike a lot of the comments, I’ve never seen ur show or watched any videos but u def r a STAR
in this house!
I haven’t tried your bread recipes. I do have a Dutch oven, my confusion is do I bake the bread at 450 or do I turn the oven down at some point.
I follow exactly what she says & it comes out beautifully in every recipe.
You bake it at 450° the whole time. That’s why you actually bake it a short time. I’ll give this a try for Xmas.
I haven’t tried your bread recipes. I do have a Dutch oven, my confusion is do I bake the bread at 450 or do I turn the oven down at some point.
Thank You
Thanks Jenny!
Could I add cheese and black olives to this before I bake it?
How is this bread different then the regular no-knead bread? The ingredients are the same.?
I make both no-knead breads, fast one and the long rise one, love them both.
Was looking for a different taste,, that s why Im wondering how this one is called “Ciabatta” bread recipe,
Thanks
Sometimes the ingredients are the same, but technique and process are different
Delicious every time!
Hi Jenny all I can say is OMG I can finally make bread. When I read your recipe and watched your video I thought this sounds full proof. So I decided to make it and I made as many loaves as 1 packet of yeast would make which turned out to be 8. Each one of them was fabulous and they looked amazing. My sister who doesn’t even eat crust from any bread said she ate this crust. Absolutely amazing. I will give you 1 funny tip. After giving away some of the bread I had 1 loaf left so I decided to seal it with my food sealer machine and well now I have a pancake breads Lol so back to the drawing board on that one. But truly thanks so much for your great recipes.
I make this bread at least once a week. We love it. I haven’t bought bread at the store in months. I decided to change it up a bit. I make it with 2 cups bread flour and 1 cup white whole wheat flour. It’s delicious. I’ve tried many of your recipes and they’re all great. Thank you!
Hi Jenny, I made this bread tonight and it knocked my socks off 🙂 Sending it to my mother tomorrow. So delish!! Thank you for all you do!!! Hugs from NYC
Okay so made your no knead bread today, I am in bread heaven, my husband says it is the best bread I have ever made an I have won prizes for my breads. Thank you Jenny
It’s hard to believe that you refused to post my comment that it is ill-advised to use hot water from the tap for cooking EVER. Unless your house was built using plastic pipes throughout, the lead solder used to connect the hot water pipes dissolves and the water should never be used in cooking. I’m sure this comment will not be posted, but it is so wrong not to correct the recipe and remove that instruction.
You made your previous comment on the FAQs page (https://www.jennycancook.com/frequently-asked-questions/) and it has been there since you posted it on May 12th.
Oh my – never use hot water – you must be kidding. I think you had better dedicate years to sit down and correct every recipe calling for hot water in every recipe.
Nice to share this – however, why make an unkind comment that you felt that you would not be published. Again, as I share – why be accusatory to someone who takes so much of her time to share her wonderful recipes. Go thru and read the appreciative comments to Jenny. She is not trying to “pull the wool over someone’s eyes”. Why are some people so quick to think that others have ulterior motives. Believe it or not- there are some really good and nice people in this world and Jenny is one of them.
Jenny, keep ‘me coming
Yes!!!!!!!
She is awesome, thanks Jenny for your time in doing all this recipes. You are like a dear sister.
Marilyn. I have made this bread with the hot water and it comes out perfect every time. When Jenny say’s hot water, she means hot…not boiling. For me personally, I use a thermometer and use water that is 110 to 115 degrees f. If you have been using water much hotter than this, you will kill the yeast and your bread will flop. Why are you talking bad of Jenny? It is not her fault you can not follow directions. I can say this because it has always worked for me. Also, make sure your yeast is within the expiration date.
Plus, hot water has been sitting in the hot water heater for a while….
Many people use a tankless hot water heater nowadays. But when cooking you don’t have to take it hot from the faucet. You can heat it in a pan on the stovetop, in the microwave, or in a hot pot that is used for the sole purpose of heating water.
Lead hasn’t been used in solder for a very long time, since the early 60’s if not before
Really? since the 60s no lead in solder for house plumbing? What planet do you live on anyway? I caught my plumber using 50/50 — ah for your info that is 50% LEAD and 50% Tin — The year 2001 and the reason is because it flows so much better and saves labor costs — So off with you, go pretending you know something to kids in the first grade.
My home was built in1953 and I have been warned by plumbers to use bottled water for cooking, especially if it calls for hot tap water. I just microwave my water and ch the temp. Lead contamination is not rampant in my area, but I appreciate safety coming first with my service workers!
It’s hard to believe that you can be so rude. it takes a person time and effort to do this for us on here. Which I greatly appreciate it. So if that’s the type of a person you are, which reminds me of a know it all bully, then do your own and leave us peasants alone. Wow
Jenny,
I made this last night and I could have sat down and eaten the entire loaf. DELISH! Thanks for sharing. This by far is my favorite bread.
Doreen
Hi Jenny,
Just wanted to thank you!! because of yours easy recipes and your funny simple videos:) I started baking!! cant thank you enough!
I let it sit for 3 hours but it is not firm. Is this the way it should be or should I add more flour. It did bubble and rise a bit
No knead doughs are never firm, that’s why you need a scraper.
Hi, Jenny, I know you’re not answering questions, but as you are likely aware, there is NO yeast in the stores. I found a source for Fleischmann’s yeast on the Internet in 1 lb packages. However, it is INSTANT YEAST. The rep at Fleischmann’s told me that, as it is instant, there is no waiting for it to rise, so how do I handle the Ciabatta recipe, which I’ve made often, following your recipe? I need to be able to use this instant yeast, as I have two lbs of it and still there is no hope of getting my usual type of Fleischmann’s yeast in stores….
The recipe actually indicates that you can use either regular or instant yeast.
I gave up searching for yeast in stores for weeks so I ordered a package online from Amazon and it only took a week.
I got two pounds at regular price at the Well Seasoned gourmet store. You should call you local gourmet store. Plus ordering online was also successful. It lasts up to 5 yrs in the freezer too.
hi try ebay!!! That’s where I get mine.?
Hi! I plan to make this ciabatta bread tomorrow but I plan to make it into rolls. Would the baking time change for rolls?
Please look at my recipe for No Knead Crusty Rolls.
I actually just used this recipe and shaped them into rolls and it came out great! So tender but still heals up to chicken parmigiana. Thank you so much for all you do.
Holds up to chicken parmigiana
As well as making this recipe the original way, I’ve made the dough using potato water (hate to waste anything) and it tastes great.
Love your no knead recipes! I can’t figure out why my breads come out of the oven crusty but then soften up as they cool? I put on a rack after taking out of the oven. Help!
That happened to me as well.
I think many of us have vented ovens, to which i attribute this problem. my solution is to dial the oven to 275, remove the water pan, and give it 15 minutes to set the crust. Also, sprinkling a little salt on the crust before you put it in can also add a little crackle. (i use rock salt, ie, coarse, sometimes).
at what point do you turn the oven down to 275?
also ,,,, can i double this recipe ??
Made this bread today and it was fabulous!! It was my first attempt at Ciabatta and it will not be my last. Thank you for a an easy and delicious recipe.
How long will the dough last once mixed? Can it be frozen? Refrigerated for a little while?
Thanks!
Hi Jenny
I am looking forward to making the ciabatta bread. My question is – can this be made into rolls for sandwiches?
I am thrilled to find you and all your recipes. I am eager to try as many of your recipes as possible.
TA (Thanks Alot)
Love this bread and it always turns out perfect!
I am going to try half and half whole wheat and white flours today!
Thank you!
Hi, what are the measurements of a properly baked loaf of ciabatta bread?
Thank you
I made this recipe into rolls using 1/2 white whole wheat flour for more nutrition and it turned out well.
Just found you. Can’t wait to try some of your recipes.
I would love to see a photo of the cut loaf so I can see what the texture is like inside after baking. – As with all your loaves.
Some only show finished bread but I determine if I want to make some recipes (especially bread )by being able to see photos of the interior after slicing.
Thank you!
Love your web site.
Use the link at the bottom to see photos in my blog.
Dear Jenny,
Thank you soooo much for your no knead bread recipes. Your wonderful information has been an absolute life changer for me. Your recipes are so much better than conventional recipes I have tried all without success during my entire 81 years. Finally, thanks to you I am able to bake delicious loaves of bread. Many many thanks, Janet
Can you make Stromboli or sausage bread with this recipe?
Can I add dried herbs to this? Calamata olives?
I am making this recipe now. My dough is very wet and barely rising after 3.5 hours. I don’t know what I did wrong – or is the way it is suppose to be? I am 99% sure I used the right amount of ingredients. Not sure if anyone will see this before I try and bake it but thought I would try. Never made Ciabatta before but have made many other Jenny recipes with great success.
The FAQs might help: https://www.jennycancook.com/no-knead-bread-solutions/
Thanks for the link. Well the bread is baked and it is delicious. I think where I made my mistake is I let it rise in a my kitchen which was only 60 degrees. The countertop was probably colder. Although it was under 30 degrees outside I am comfortable at 60. Next time I will let it rise in a draft free place like the oven. It probably didn’t rise as much as the picture but still the taste is excellent and the crust is beautiful.
I keep my house cool too, especially in the winter. When I mix the bread to rise I do one of 2 things, I will turn the oven on to preheat for just a minute to give it a little blast of heat and then quickly shut it off. I put my thermometer in there and when it drops to 78 or so I put the bread in. Then I turn on the oven light. The light’s warmth will be just enough to keep the oven warm for a perfect rise…. Or I just turn on the light without “preheating” the oven. It works perfectly… and for making yogurt as well!
Made this today after seeing it recommended on a forum I frequent, with another endorsement after. Turned out great. Definitely need an oven thermometer, though. My oven said it was preheated after about five minutes, but according to my remote thermometer I use on my smoker it took more like a half hour.