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Ciabatta Rolls

Chewy and crusty, these traditional Italian rolls are perfect for making the ultimate sandwich.
Ciabatta Rolls
Yield 9 rolls

Ingredients

Biga

  • 1/4 teaspoon Platinum Yeast
  • 1 cup warm water (110-115°F)
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup water (room temperature)

Dough

  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons Platinum Yeast (remainder of package)
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 cups warm water (110-115°F)
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • Biga (from previous day)
  • Cornmeal for dusting baking sheets

Instructions

  • Make the Biga: Combine the 1/4 teaspoon yeast with one cup warm water, stir to dissolve. Let stand for 10 minutes. Take one teaspoon of this yeast/water mixture and add it to the 3/4 cup regular water. Dispose of remaining first yeast/mixture water. In a medium sized bowl, add the flour and yeast/water mixture and mix together to form a stiff dough. Cover with plastic wrap and leave on the counter overnight.
  • Make the Dough: The next day, combine the flour, yeast and salt in a bowl. Add the water and mix gently. Add the Biga from the previous day and mix it through the dough. Squeeze the biga to break it up, it'll still be slightly stringy and chunky but the dough will get smoother.
  • Turn out dough (it will be sticky) onto a well-floured surface. Dust top of dough with flour. Carefully turn dough over multiple times to knead it, adding just enough flour to prevent it from sticking. A dough scraper is an excellent tool to use for this task.
  • Transfer dough to a large bowl which has been coated with olive oil. Cover again and let sit for about three hours or until the dough has doubled in size.
  • Turn dough out onto a floured surface and fold it in three times like folding a letter. Cut into roughly 9 square pieces. Transfer each piece, seam side down, to a towel which has been heavily dusted with flour.
  • Let the rolls sit covered for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 450°F and dust a pizza stone or baking trays with a little cornmeal.
  • After an hour, carefully flip the rolls over, transferring them to the stone or baking trays, finishing seam side up.
  • Bake for about 20 minutes until there is a nice golden color on the top and bottom of the rolls.

Notes

The dough will be sticky, handle it quickly but gently using flour to prevent it sticking to your hands too much. These rolls are rustic so don't worry too much about the size or shape being uniformed.
Recipe by Foodness Gracious.