Italian
High-Hydration Sourdough Ciabatta Rolls with Crispy Blistered Crust
Featherlight Italian slipper rolls built at 84% hydration with extra virgin olive oil, developed exclusively with gentle coil folds in a square tub, and cut straight on a floured bench with zero degassing for cavernous interior holes and a paper-thin crust.
The good part
Fermentation Science & Baker’s Notes
Holding back 10% of the water during initial mixing (the French bassinage technique) lets gluten bonds form tightly at 74% hydration before drinking in the final water to reach 84% hydration. For deeper fermentation diagnostics, Desired Dough Temperature math, and starter ratios, consult our Open-Baking Steam Mechanics & Crust Physics and the master Vegan Sourdough & Wild Fermentation Pillar Hub.
Storage, Freezing & Refreshing
Store crusty artisan sourdough loaves cut-side down on a wooden board or inside a linen bread bag at room temperature for up to 3 days (avoid sealed plastic bags, which trap moisture and soften the blistered crust). For longer storage, slice the cooled loaf completely, place parchment squares between slices, and freeze in an airtight freezer bag for up to 3 months; toast straight from frozen or refresh whole loaves in a 375°F oven for 8 minutes.
Nutrition, Digestibility & Swaps
Split horizontally and fill with grilled eggplant, sun-dried tomato pesto, arugula, and balsamic glaze. Want to adapt another family bakery recipe to 100% plant-based sourdough? Open our interactive Vegan Baking Converter.
Gather
Ingredients
- 500g (4 cups) high-protein unbleached bread flour (13%+ protein)
- 420g (1 3/4 cups + 1 tbsp) filtered water at 78°F, divided (370g initial + 50g bassinage)
- 100g (scant 1/2 cup) active peaked sourdough levain
- 15g (1 tbsp) extra virgin olive oil
- 11g (2 tsp) fine sea salt
- Abundant flour and semolina, for bench dividing
Make
Method
- 01Autolyse & Bassinage Hydration: Mix 500g bread flour with 370g water (74% hydration first) and rest 45 minutes. Add 100g levain and 11g salt, slap-and-fold for 3 minutes until cohesive, then slowly trickle in the remaining 50g water and 15g olive oil (bassinage method) while scooping until absorbed.
- 02Four Coil Folds in a Square Container: Transfer to a lightly oiled square container. Perform 4 sets of gentle coil folds every 30 minutes, then let ferment undisturbed until risen by 75% to 80% and trembling with large bubbles (or cold-retard the entire tub overnight).
- 03No-Shape Bench Divide: Generously flour your work surface. Invert the square tub directly onto the flour in one clean motion so the top becomes the bottom without deflating a single bubble. Dust the top with flour, pat gently into an even 8x12-inch rectangle, and slice with a floured bench scraper into 8 rectangular rolls.
- 04Short Couche Rest & Steam Bake: Transfer rolls with a wide spatula onto parchment dusted with semolina; rest 35 minutes while preheating a baking steel/sheet pan to 475°F with a steam pan on the lower rack. Slide onto the hot steel, pour 1 cup boiling water into the steam pan, and bake 12 minutes with steam, then 10 minutes vented at 450°F until hollow when tapped.
Keep cooking
Swaps, storage, and useful next steps.
Split horizontally and fill with grilled eggplant, sun-dried tomato pesto, arugula, and balsamic glaze.