Same Day Sourdough Ciabatta

Soft, airy sourdough ciabatta rolls made with freshly milled flour and a touch of yeast so they’re ready by dinner.

I love traditional long fermented sourdough, but sometimes I just want something I can mix in the morning and bake by dinner. This dough has 100 grams of starter for flavor and a tiny bit of yeast to help it rise more predictably. It gives you that sourdough taste with a same day timeline.

What I love most about this recipe is the texture. It’s rustic and airy with beautiful bubbles, but still soft enough for sandwiches. We used it for Cuban sandwiches and I immediately knew it was going to become a regular in our kitchen.

Main Ingredients and Swaps

• Freshly milled hard red wheat – Adds depth and nutrition. I love blending fresh milled flour into breads like this. You could use spelt or another ancient grain if that’s what you have. I use the NutriMill flour mill when milling my own flour.
• All purpose flour – Keeps the ciabatta light and airy. You can use bread flour if you prefer a slightly chewier texture.
• Sourdough starter – Gives that classic flavor. Make sure it’s active and bubbly.
• Active dry yeast – This is what makes it same day. You can omit it for full sourdough, but the timeline will be much longer.
• Cool water – Cool because we don’t want this to ferment too fast so it can create beautiful air pockets and flavor throughout the day.

How I Make It

First, I mix the starter and water in a bowl. Then I add the yeast (let it bloom for a few minutes if using active dry yeast) salt, and flour and mix everything by hand just until combined. It does not need to be perfect at this stage. I let it rest for about 30 minutes. At this point I like to give it one stretch and fold and then transfer it to a seperate container with a lid. These containers are perfect for this. (I have a larger container but I think the smaller ones I linked work better so you can really see the rise)

Next comes the stretch and fold stage. Every 30 minutes for about 2 hours, I gently stretch one side of the dough up and fold it over itself. I rotate the bowl and repeat. This develops the gluten without kneading. If your kitchen is cold, placing the bowl somewhere slightly warm really helps.

Once the dough has doubled and looks airy and bubbly, I generously flour the counter and gently turn the dough out. I shape it into a rough rectangle and divide it into 8 to 10 pieces. I try not to deflate it or work the dough too much because those bubbles are what we want.

I transfer the pieces to a parchment lined sheet pan, cover, and let them rise for about an hour.

Then I bake at 450°F (230°C) for 20 to 25 minutes until golden and baked through. In my snow day batch, I baked hotter and used a bit too much flour, so I’ve adjusted it here for the best texture.

👇🏻 Watch the full recipe walkthrough in my YouTube video below!

Same Day Sourdough Ciabatta

This same day sourdough ciabatta is made with freshly milled flour and a little yeast for a soft, airy crumb and beautiful bubbles. Ready by dinner and perfect for sandwiches.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Rest Time 5 hours hrs

Servings: 8 -10 rolls

Course: Bread

Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients Method Video

Ingredients

  

• 320 g all purpose flour
• 200 g freshly milled flour I used a mix of hard red wheat berries and kamut. This worked perfect! You can substitute for all purpose flour but you'll likely need to add a little more flour and a little less water.
• 100 g active sourdough starter
• 430 g cool water
• 13 g salt
• ½ tsp active dry or instant yeast If using active dry, give it a few minutes to bloom/foam after adding it to the water.

Method

 

1. In a large bowl, stir together the starter and cool water until mostly combined. Add the flour salt, and yeast/ If you are using active dry yeast, give a few minute to bloom/foam before adding the flour. Next add all of the flour and mix by hand or with a wooden spoon until no dry flour remains. The dough will be sticky and shaggy, and that is exactly what you want.
2. Cover and let the dough rest for 30-45 minutes to hydrate.
3. With damp hands, stretch one side of the dough up and fold it over itself. Rotate the bowl and repeat on all four sides. Transfer this dough to a clean container with a lid and repeat this stretch and fold process every 30 minutes for about 2 hours total.
4. After the final fold, let the dough rise until doubled in size and visibly airy and bubbly.
5. Generously flour your countertop and gently turn the dough out. Shape it into a rough rectangle, being careful not to press out the air.
6. Using a bench scraper, Cut into 8 to 10 pieces and transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover and let rise for about 1 hour.
7. Bake at 450°F (230°C) for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown and baked through. Let cool slightly before serving.

Video

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