Sourdough Ciabatta Rolls

Sourdough Ciabatta Rolls

Sourdough ciabatta rolls are a labor of love, but boy are they worth it! They are one of the best breads I’ve made to date, and they were gone in minutes. They definitely have a ‘rustic’ appearance, which make them fun to make and easy to eat. Ciabatta rolls are chewy and airy, filled with these huge pockets of air. I found they were quite the crowd pleaser, and they were fun to make too.

There are many ways you can eat them, my favorite being stuffed with all the good fillings and grilled into a panini. They could make a really unique grilled cheese, a great companion for soup, or even made into a pizza or garlic bread. There are so many directions this recipe can take, which is why it’s a great staple to add to your recipe book!

Ingredients

The best part about making bread at home, especially these sourdough ciabatta rolls is that there is only a few simple ingredients you’ll need. It is a great recipe to for sandwiches and soups, you’ll find yourself making these all year round! Like any homemade sourdough rolls, they have fewer ingredients than the ones at the grocery store and they taste way better.

• Bread Flour: This is a must for this recipe. Bread flour has a higher protein content than all purpose, usually between 12-14%, which will make all the difference for this recipe. 
• Water: Well or spring water is always best for the yeasts in sourdough to thrive. Make the water tepid, around 70-80 degrees.
• Olive Oil: This fat helps keep the sourdough ciabatta rolls soft and chewy.
• Starter: The more active your starter is, the better your ciabatta rolls will turn out. If you need a sourdough starter, I sell my very own starter here.
• Salt: Bread salt or sea salt will work best.

Sourdough Ciabatta Rolls Recipe

Sourdough ciabatta rolls take two days to make. The first day is full of making the dough and your rounds of stretching and folding. The second day is much less work. You just shape the rolls, let them rise, and bake! On day one you will need at least 5 hours from the beginning to the fermenting phase. Make sure you plan to stick around the house so you can keep on top of your stretching and folding!

Day 1

1. Autolease: In a large bowl, add flour and water and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Allow mixture to rest for 30 minutes covered with plastic wrap on your counter. 
2. Make Dough: Now add olive oil, starter, and salt and squish the dough together with your hands. Mixing with your hands will encourage the yeast to activate.
3. Rest and Stretch and Fold: Transfer your dough into an oiled glass 9×11 baking pan. Allow the dough to rest covered for 30 minutes on the counter. Now we will go through a series of 6 stretch and folds. Grab the corner of the dough and bring it to the middle of the dough. Repeat this process with each corner of the dough two times each. Cover the dough and allow it to rest for 30 mins. Repeat this process 5 more times, for a total time of 3 hours of stretching, folding, and resting.
4. Ferment: Allow the dough to rest on the counter, covered, for 60 minutes after the last stretch and fold. Then place the dough in the refrigerator for an overnight ferment.

Day 2

1. Remove the Dough: Flour your counter heavily, I prefer to use rice flour to prevent sticking while keeping the dough from absorbing more flour. Carefully flip your pan upside down and allow the dough to fall onto the floured counter. Gently stretch the dough until it is even, about 1 inch thick.
2. Shape Rolls: Using a bench scraper, cut the dough in half, and then cut each half into thirds. Gently lift the rolls up with your bench scraper and place them on a floured couche or dish towel. Support the sides of the rolls by bunching up the fabric up around the edges. This will keep them from spreading out, instead rising upwards. Cover with the rest of the towel and allow to rest 45 minutes.
3. Bake: Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Gently place your rolls on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Place rolls in the oven and bake for 40 minutes until golden brown on the top.

Tips for Making Ciabatta Rolls

• About the Couche: A lot of people wonder if it’s really necessary for making these sourdough ciabatta rolls. You can get away without using a couche, but I still recommend using a floured tea towel made of cotton or linen. Couches are important for a few reasons. First, they help the dough keep its shape while rising and keeping its structure. Second, the couche lets the dough breath and helps it get that crackly crust that is oh so yummy! Ciabatta rolls are a high hydration dough, so for the best results you should use a couche.
• Shaping the Rolls: Ciabatta dough is really wet, which means it can be more of a pain to shape. I recommend shaping them right after pulling them out of the fridge so the dough is easier to work with.