So it has been quite long since I shared the last homemade bread - cheese stuffed crusty bread loaves and I decided to dust my bread making skills yet again. Today I come with one of the easiest, simplest and delicious homemade bread recipes - No Knead Ciabatta Bread. Anyone who has been baking a lot of bread or love to eat bread, you should know that Ciabatta is not so easy to nail the first time. It requires a long proofing time and the bread flavor is quite intense. I have always loved to make Ciabatta at home, except that I didn’t like the long waiting part and I always pushed the idea aside.
Recently during my US trip, I had a chance to sample good quality ciabatta breads in Italian restaurant – especially with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, there couldn’t have been a magical combination. Ever since I had been dreaming about it, truth be told. During one of those jetlagged nights when I tossing around in the bed, I got the idea to make ciabatta and began researching for a quick version of it and that’s when I found my quick no-knead ciabatta bread – it is adapted from here.
For the uninitiated, Ciabatta is an Italian bread which literally means ‘slipper’ due to the fact that it is flattish. There is no point in shaping this bread, as it is impossible. This No Knead Ciabatta Bread uses no fat – I mean zero oil or butter! It is just the magic of yeast, water and flour along with salt. Look at that perfect crumb, will you?!
The recipe is purely based on how the yeast reacts to the flour and water. Traditionally it is made very slowly with lesser yeast and is left to proof at room temperature and in fridge for more than 16 hours, this helps develop a very unique bread flavor. Remember how I am an impatient bread baker? This quick ciabatta recipe is perfect for people like me. It uses slightly higher yeast and achieves the same flavor with just 2 hours of proofing time. What’s more, this bread freezes well and can be made ahead too!
How to make Quick No Knead Ciabatta Bread
📖 Recipe
Detailed step-wise picture recipe of making Quick No Knead Ciabatta Bread
In a bowl, mix all purpose flour with salt, keep it aside.
Dissolve yeast and sugar in water. Let it sit for 5 mins until frothy.
Now add ¾th of the flour mixture into yeast mixture. Mix it well using a spoon/whisk. Alternatively, a stand mixer can be used too.
The dough should be stringy and not break.
Now add the remaining flour mixture and mix it again until just combined.
Don’t over mix it, as the mixture can become tough.
Cover with cling film and let it rest for 1-2 hours or until it is doubled in size.
Slightly punch down the dough and mix it again, without pulling it too hard. Meanwhile, on a baking tray lined with baking sheet sprinkle all-purpose flour all over it. Drop the dough at the center.
Using a sharp knife, cut into halves and shape each one into a ciabatta of 1 inch thickness.
Sprinkle some flour on top, don’t worry too much about the shape of the bread.
Bake this bread in a preheated oven at 200°C for 30-35 mins. For the first 15-20 mins, place a small bowl of water in the bottom most rack to maintain a high level of humidity and then remove it, bake again for 15 – 20 mins.
Once the bread is golden on top, remove it from the oven and cool it down before cutting.
Serve with olive oil and balsamic vinegar to dip or cut through the center and use as sandwich bread.
Recipe Notes
Water quantity highly depends on the type of flour used along with the climatic conditions, adjust by ¼ cup more or less as needed. The bread freezes well – just place it in a ziplock bag and freeze. When needed, thaw it at room temperature and put it in hot oven for 5 mins to get crusty top.
I would be delighted to know if you have tried this recipe, don’t forget to share your feedback and comments below. If you have any questions, you can e-mail me! I am also available on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter 🙂
