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SOURDOUGH CIBATTA ROLLS - RECIPE FEATURE IMAGE

Sourdough Cibatta Rolls Recipe

These rustic, sourdough cibatta rolls feature a crisp golden crust and a chewy interior, perfect for sandwiches or dipping in olive oil. A testament to sourdough fermentation, they offer a delightful artisan experience in every bite.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Fermentation Time 1 day
Total Time 1 day 2 hours 35 minutes
Course Bread
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 6 cibatta rolls
Calories 286 kcal

Equipment

  • Baking Stone
  • Bread Peel
  • Silicone Dough Scraper
  • Metal Dough Scraper

Ingredients
  

  • 100 g Sourdough Starter
  • 360 g Water
  • 12 g Salt
  • 450 g Bread Flour (or you can use all purpose flour)

Instructions
 

  • Feed Your Sourdough Starter
    Traditional cibatta bread is made using a preferment or biga. In this sourdough cibatta recipe, your sourdough starter is the preferent, so ensure your sourdough starter is active and at room temperature. It should be fed within 6 to 8 hours of making your sourdough cibatta bread.
  • Mix the Dough
    In a large mixing bowl, combine 100g of sourdough starter and 360g of water until the sourdough starter is well dissolved. Then add the flour and salt and mix until all the ingredients come together into a shaggy dough.
  • Autolyse
    Cover the bowl with a plastic cover or damp cloth and let the dough rest for about 30 minutes to 1 hour. This autolyse process allows the flour to fully hydrate.
  • Stretch and Fold
    Over the next 2 hours, you will need to gently stretch and fold the dough. Try to do 2 to 4 sets of stretches and folds during this 2 hour period.
    To fold, wet your hands and lift one side of the dough, stretch it, then fold it over the center. Repeat with all four sides of the dough.
  • Bulk Fermentation
    Cover the bowl and let the dough sit at room temperature until it rises around 50%. This is a very high hydration dough so it won't take as long as a regular sourdough loaf.
  • Once the dough has risen, gently pull the edges of the dough into the centre to create a sticky ball. Cover and place in the fridge for around 8 to 12 hours (you can leave it up to 24 hours if you like, but I find I get best results from 12 hours).
  • Divide and Shape
    When you are ready to shape the sourdough cibatta dough, take the bowl out of the fridge. Generously dust a clean surface with all purpose flour.
    Use a silicone dough scraper to flip the sourdough cibatta dough out onto the floured countertop with the sticky side on the top.
    Gently pull the dough out into a rough rectangle. It definitely doesn't have to be perfect, this is rustic Italian bread. Generously cover the top of the dough surface in flour (this will help with the next step).
    Use a metal dough scraper to cut the dough into 6 fairly even pieces. Alternatively, you can cut the dough down the middle and create two equally shaped loaves.
  • Final Proof
    Take a baking peel or pizza peel and generously cover it in all purpose flour. If there are any odd shaped rolls, you can gently pull the edges together to neaten them up, or just leave them as they are.
    Sprinkle the top of the rolls with a generous amount of flour and gently transfer them to the prepared baking peel.
    Allow the sourdough cibatta rolls to proof at room temperature until they have visibly puffed up and developed a slightly airy texture. Remember you were working with cold dough, so this might take a bit longer than you'd expect.
    I don't cover my sourdough cibatta rolls while they proof, but you can if you want to. I just put a fly net dome over them to stop the flies, but that's it.
  • Preheat the Oven
    When your sourdough cibatta rolls are ready to bake, preheat your oven to 475°F (245°C) with a baking stone placed on the middle rack.
    See notes for information about steam for this bake.
  • Baking
    When you're ready, carefully transfer the cibatta rolls to the hot baking stone in the oven (if you've added enough flour they should easily slide across).
    Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the rolls are golden brown and have a crisp crust.
  • Cool and Enjoy
    Allow the ciabatta rolls to cool on a wire rack. Once cooled, they're ready to be enjoyed with your favorite spreads or as sandwich rolls.

Notes

To Steam or Not To Steam - I have tested this recipe multiple times with steam and without steam. I have a steam oven but I have also tested the recipe by adding a cast iron pan of water under the baking stone.
I find that I get a better result using a hot baking stone with no additional steam added. The steam tends to cause issues if it hasn't evaporated enough towards the end of the bake. It can make the bottom of the cibatta rolls soggy and can make them stick to the baking stone.
I also find that adding steam to the oven is awkward so I will try to avoid it if I can. 
 
Woodfired Pizza Oven - these sourdough cibatta rolls work amazingly well in a woodfired pizza oven! Bake them at a lower heat than you would pizza. No big flames, just glowing coals.

Nutrition

Calories: 286kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 9gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gSodium: 780mgPotassium: 75mgFiber: 2gSugar: 0.2gVitamin A: 2IUCalcium: 14mgIron: 1mg
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