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Rustic Yeast Ciabatta Bread with a Crispy Crust and Airy Center
No-Mixer Rustic Yeast Ciabatta Bread That’s Crispy Outside & Soft Inside. Bake your own bakery-style ciabatta with just a bowl and a spoon!
There’s nothing quite like the smell of homemade bread drifting through the kitchen. This Rustic Yeast Ciabatta Bread gives you that cozy bakery feeling with a crisp crust and a soft, chewy inside. It’s one of those recipes that looks fancy but is actually foolproof, no bread machine, no drama, just honest ingredients and a bit of time.
Why You’ll Love and Enjoy Rustic Yeast Ciabatta Bread
- It’s made with basic pantry ingredients — no special tools needed.
- The crust gets beautifully golden and crunchy.
- Inside? Soft, airy, and perfect for dipping into olive oil or soup.
- You can shape it freeform or bake it in a loaf tin.
- It freezes beautifully, so you’ll always have fresh bread on hand.
Rustic Yeast Ciabatta Bread is crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle. Simple ingredients, amazing results. Bake this bread and bring bakery flavors home.
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Rustic Yeast Ciabatta Bread
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 2 loaves 1x
- Category: Bread Recipes
- Method: Easy
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
Bake bakery-style Rustic Yeast Ciabatta Bread right in your kitchen! This easy yeast ciabatta bread turns out light, airy, and perfectly crusty, no mixer needed, just simple ingredients and a warm oven.
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups cake flour (or bread flour, if you prefer a chewier texture)
- 1 x 10 g sachet instant yeast
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 tsp sugar
- 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 500 ml lukewarm water
- 1/2 cup chopped pitted black olives (optional – for one loaf if you’d like a twist)
Instructions
- In a jug, mix 500 ml lukewarm water, 3 tsp sugar, and 1 x 10 g sachet of instant yeast.
- Give it a good stir, then let it sit for about 5 minutes until it’s nice and frothy.
- In a large bowl, sift together 3½ cups cake flour and ½ tsp salt.
- Make a little well in the center, pour in ¼ cup of oil, and then add your frothy yeast mixture.
- Mix it up with a wooden spoon until the flour’s all worked in. Don’t panic, it’ll be sticky and messy, that’s exactly what you want!
- Cover the bowl tightly with cling wrap and set it somewhere warm for about 1 hour, or until the dough has doubled in size and looks alive and bubbly.
- Lightly flour your counter and tip the dough out.
- Knock it back to release some air and knead for about 4 minutes.
- If it’s super sticky, add 1–2 tablespoons more flour, but keep it on the soft side.
- Divide the dough in half (or leave it whole for one big loaf).
- If you’re adding olives, knead ½ cup chopped pitted black olives into one piece.
- Shape into rustic loaves and place them on a parchment-lined baking tray dusted with flour.
- Lightly sprinkle the tops with flour.
- Loosely cover with a big plastic bag or clean towel and let rise again for 30 minutes until puffed.
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Just before baking, make three quick slashes on top of each loaf using a sharp knife.
- Pop a small ovenproof bowl of water on the bottom rack to create steam (this helps get that amazing crust).
- Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the loaves sound hollow when tapped underneath and the crust is beautifully golden.
- Let them cool on a wire rack.
- Slice once they’re just warm, and enjoy that crisp crackle when you cut through!
Notes
Created, prepared, tried, and tested by Gail
Soft, airy, and golden Rustic Yeast Ciabatta Bread is simple to bake. Impress guests with homemade loaves. Share your freshly baked ciabatta with friends and family.
Rustic Yeast Ciabatta Bread is soft inside, crisp outside, and satisfying to bake. Freshly baked loaves fill your kitchen with aroma and deliver a bakery-style experience at home. Every slice has a tender crumb and golden crust that makes sandwiches, dips, or toast extraordinary.
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