Easy Gluten Free Ciabatta Rolls (2024)

These gluten free ciabatta rolls are incredibly easy to make and they turn out perfect every single time. They’re deliciously crusty with a soft, chewy open crumb filled with large irregular holes – just like any proper ciabatta bread should be. The dough comes together quickly and easily either by hand or with a stand mixer, and there’s no complicated shaping required. And they’re so good even non-gluten-free folks love them!

I’ve been having lots of fun with gluten free bread recently, I simply can’t stop experimenting with new recipes and trying to see what’s possible. Today’s offering are these incredible gluten free ciabatta rolls: they’re deliciously crusty with a gorgeous soft, chewy open crumb, filled with large, irregular holes – just like any proper ciabatta should be.

Just a few years ago, making gluten free ciabatta seemed impossible. Now, I can tell you that it’s not only possible but also incredibly simple! This is honestly one of the easiest gluten free bread recipes I’ve ever made: the dough comes together super easily and there’s no complicated shaping or scoring or anything like that. Plus, it’s a really forgiving recipe and I promise that you’ll get amazing results even if you’re a beginner when it comes to making gluten free bread.

The flavour, texture and appearance of these rolls are all incredibly close to those of regular ciabatta bread made from wheat flour. In fact, they’re so good that even non-gluten-free folks can’t get enough of them!

What is ciabatta?

Ciabatta is an Italian white bread known for its very open, chewy crumb, filled with large irregular holes. Traditionally, ciabatta is made from regular wheat flour, water, salt, yeast and (sometimes) olive oil, and it uses a very high hydration (very wet) dough, typically 80% hydration or higher.

The name “ciabatta” comes from the Italian word for “slipper”, referring to this bread’s typical elongated, broad and flat (slipper-like) shape.

How to make THE BEST gluten free ciabatta rolls

These gluten free ciabatta rolls are definitely one of the easiest gluten free bread recipes I’ve ever shared. The dough comes together super quickly and easily either by hand or with a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, and then you just need to roll it out into a rough rectangle on a generously floured surface, cut it into six smaller rectangles, transfer them to a sheet of parchment/baking paper, proof until doubled in size (about 1 hour) and bake.

It really is that simple! Unlike most other bread recipes, you don’t need to shape these ciabatta rolls – you just cut the dough into portions and that’s it. And don’t worry if your smaller dough rectangles are a bit uneven or wonky or of different shapes: ciabatta rolls are meant to be rustic, it’s all part of their charm.

For example, I’m pretty much incapable of creating end pieces that aren’t rather triangular in shape… and that’s okay! They’ll still taste and look amazing in the end.

It’s important that you flip the ciabatta rolls upside down when you transfer them to the parchment/baking paper, so that their generously floured bottoms face upwards. Ciabatta bread is known for its crusty, flour-streaked exterior, so don’t be tempted to brush off any of the excess flour.

Baking gluten free ciabatta rolls

The baking setup and the baking method are VERY important when it comes to these ciabatta rolls:

Pre-heat the oven with a baking steel (or baking stone) on the lower middle oven rack and a cast iron skillet (or other metal baking pan) on the bottom of the oven. You’ll slide the proofed ciabatta rolls, along with the parchment/baking paper underneath, onto the hot baking steel/stone and place about 6 ice cubes in the bottom cast iron skillet, which will generate a lot of steam straight away. The high oven temperature, preheated baking steel/stone and high steam concentration in the oven will ensure that you get maximum oven spring and that the crust of your ciabatta rolls gets nicely crisp and browned (without the steam, it can dry out and get a white-ish appearance instead).
If you don’t have a baking steel/stone, use a heavy-duty baking sheet turned upside down. You won’t get quite the same amount of oven spring, but it’ll still be very close and your ciabatta rolls will still turn out delicious with a nice open crumb.
Don’t use a glass baking pan on the bottom of the oven. As you’ll place ice cubes in the preheated skillet or baking pan on the bottom of the oven, it’ll experience a rapid and large temperature change. If you use a glass baking pan (or glass baking tray), it could shatter.
Pre-heat the oven to 475ºF (250ºC) and then immediately reduce the oven temperature to 425ºF (220ºC) after you’ve put in the ciabatta rolls. The high initial oven temperature will give you the maximum oven spring and ensure that your gluten free ciabatta rolls have that typical open crumb with plenty of large, irregular holes.
Bake the ciabatta rolls with steam for the first 10 minutes, and then without steam for a further 15 minutes. The initial steamy oven environment will help with oven spring and prevent the crust from drying out, so that it can brown nicely (even without brushing it with egg wash or oil). After the 10 minutes, you need to vent the oven (open the oven door to let out the steam) and remove the bottom skillet or baking pan and bake the rolls for 15 minutes longer, until they’re deep golden brown. In this second part of baking, they’ll lose enough moisture so that their interior won’t be in any way sticky or gummy when you cut into them – instead, it’ll be perfectly soft and chewy with plenty of holes, like any proper ciabatta should be.
Don’t use a convection/fan oven. A convection or fan oven usually removes any steam from the oven very quickly, which means you won’t be able to build up a high enough concentration of steam during the first part of baking – this can result in reduced oven spring and a dry, white-ish crust. That’s why I recommend using a conventional, non-fan oven (or oven setting).

Once baked, allow the gluten free ciabatta rolls to cool completely to room temperature before you cut into them. If you slice into them while they’re still hot or warm, you’ll find that the interior can still be quite sticky, as it needs some time to cool and set.

What makes this recipe work?

Psyllium husk acts as a gluten substitute (binder) and gives you a gluten free dough that you can easily handle and shape. It also gives the dough enough flexibility and extensibility so that it can expand, first during proofing and then during the first part of baking (oven spring). You can read more about the role of psyllium husk in gluten free baking here!
The high hydration of the dough (~114%) results in a very open crumb with plenty of irregular holes – just like with regular ciabatta bread made from wheat flour.
A custom blend of gluten free flours, relatively low in starches, ensures that despite the high hydration your ciabatta rolls won’t turn out sticky or gummy. It’s VERY important that you don’t use a shop-bought 1-to-1 gluten free flour for this recipe, as those tend to have a high starch content and they won’t give you the correct texture (your ciabatta rolls will turn out sticky, gummy and/or dense if you use a 1-to-1 gluten free flour).
The high oven temperature and adding steam during the first part of baking maximise oven spring and prevent the crust from drying out. If your oven runs cold or if there’s not enough steam, your rolls can turn out flat and with a dull, white-ish, very dry crust.
Baking the ciabatta rolls on a pre-heated surface (baking steel, baking stone or heavy-duty baking sheet) also maximises oven spring and ensures that your rolls aren’t too flat.

Storing & reheating gluten free ciabatta rolls

These gluten free ciabatta rolls are definitely at their very best fresh, on the day of baking. However, they keep really well in a closed container for 3-4 days, you just need to reheat them briefly before serving and eating them. Reheating re-softens the interior and it actually makes the crust even crisper than it is on the freshly baked (and then cooled) rolls.

When it comes to reheating, you have two options:

Reheat the ciabatta rolls in a 350ºF (180ºC) oven for 6-8 minutes.
Toast/reheat them in a toaster.

Both options work great and allow you to enjoy delicious gluten free ciabatta rolls even 4 days after you’ve baked them (if they’ll actually last that long is a whole other story).

Can I scale up the recipe and make a larger number of ciabatta rolls?

Yes, absolutely! I typically make six gluten free ciabatta rolls because that’s how many I can comfortably fit inside my oven on the preheated baking steel.

But if you’re working with a larger oven and larger baking steel/stone, you can easily scale up the recipe by however much you fancy – just multiply all the ingredients quantities by the same factor and you’re good to go.

Can I make one large ciabatta loaf instead?

I don’t recommend baking this dough as one large ciabatta loaf, it’s specifically optimised to work in the form of several smaller ciabatta rolls. (When I tried baking this as one large loaf, I got a large amount of tunnelling with a huge hole running down the centre of the loaf, right underneath the crust.)

From my initial experiments, it looks like a larger ciabatta loaf requires a slightly different baking method, and I’ll share a separate recipe for a gluten free ciabatta loaf as soon as I’ve perfected it.

Possible substitutions

Although all the ingredients in the recipe should be easily accessible either in your local grocery store or online, I still wanted to include a list of substitutions you can make. (NOTE: all substitutions should be madeby weightand not by volume.)

Instant yeast: You can use active dry yeast instead, in which case you’ll have to activate it first. Mix it together with the sugar and 120g (½ cup) of the water listed in the recipe and allow the mixture to sit for 5-10 minutes or until it starts frothing and bubbling. Then, add it to the dry ingredients along with the psyllium gel, olive oil and vinegar.
Psyllium husk: YOU CAN’T SUBSTITUTE IT WITH A DIFFERENT INGREDIENT. But if you use psyllium huskpowderas opposed to the whole psyllium husk, use only 85% of the weight listed in the recipe.
Millet flour:You can use an equal weight of finely ground/milled brown rice flour instead.
Tapioca starch:You can use an equal weight of cornstarch (US)/cornflour (UK), potato starch or arrowroot starch instead.
Sorghum flour:You can use an equal weight of white teff flour, light buckwheat flour or oat flour instead (the latter only if you’re not sensitive to oats).
Olive oil: You can use an equal weight of sunflower, vegetable or your favourite cooking/baking oil instead. I haven’t tested this with coconut oil, so I can’t guarantee how well it will work.

A note on measurements (tl;dr: if possible, use a scale)

While I’ve included the volume measurements (cups and spoons) in the recipe card below, if at all possible (and I really cannot overemphasise this): USE METRIC GRAM MEASUREMENTS IF YOU CAN.

And that’s it! This covers everything you need to know in order to make the most amazing gluten free ciabatta rolls, with a deliciously crusty exterior and that characteristic open crumb. I’ve been making these on repeat for several weeks now, I simply can’t get enough of them – and I still can’t get over just how ridiculously easy they are to make.

I really hope you’ll love them as much as I do.

Happy baking!!

More gluten free bread recipes

If you’re looking for more amazing gluten free bread recipes (that are nearly indistinguishable from their “regular” equivalents made from wheat flour), you’re definitely in the right place!

Gluten Free Soft White Bread
Easy Gluten Free Pita Bread
Easy 5-Ingredient Gluten Free Flour Tortillas
The Best Gluten Free Baguettes
The Softest Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls
Gluten Free Challah Bread
The Ultimate Gluten Free Bread (Artisan Style Loaf)

If you like what you’re seeing, subscribe to my newsletter to keep up to date on the latest recipes and tips!

Easy Gluten Free Ciabatta Rolls

These gluten free ciabatta rolls are incredibly easy to make and they turn out perfect every single time. They’re deliciously crusty with a soft, chewy open crumb filled with large irregular holes – just like any proper ciabatta bread should be. The dough comes together quickly and easily either by hand or with a stand mixer, and there’s no complicated shaping required. And they’re so good even non-gluten-free folks love them!

Note: This recipe is specifically optimised to work as several smaller ciabatta rolls, I don't recommend baking it as one large ciabatta loaf.

Print Rate SAVE

5 from 34 votes

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook/Bake Time 25 minutes mins

Ingredients

▢ 15 g (3 tbsp) whole/rough psyllium husk (If using psyllium huskpowder, use only 13g.)
▢ 360 g (1½ cups) lukewarm water
▢ 120 g (¾ cup + 2 tbsp) millet flour, plus extra for flouring the surface (You can use an equal weight of finely milled/ground brown rice flour instead.)
▢ 115 g (1 cup) tapioca starch (You can use an equal weight of cornstarch (US)/cornflour (UK), potato starch or arrowroot starch instead.)
▢ 80 g (½ cup + 2 tbsp) sorghum flour (You can use an equal weight of light buckwheat flour, white teff flour or oat flour instead. Use the latter only if you're not sensitive to oats.)
▢ 15 g (1 tbsp) caster/superfine or granulated sugar
▢ 8 g (2½ tsp) instant yeast (If using active dry yeast, use 10g.)
▢ 6 g (1 tsp) salt
▢ 25 g (2 tbsp) olive oil
▢ 8 g (1½ tsp) apple cider vinegar

Instructions

Making the dough:

You can prepare the dough using a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment or by hand.
Make the psyllium gel:In a bowl, mix together the psyllium husk and lukewarm water. After about 30-45 seconds, a gel will form.
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer (if using), whisk together the millet flour, tapioca starch, sorghum flour, sugar, instant yeast and salt.
Tip: If using active dry yeast instead, you need to activate it first. Mix it together with the sugar and 120g (½ cup) of the water listed in the recipe (note that that means you'll use less water to make the psyllium gel). Set aside for 5-10 minutes, or until the mixture starts frothing.Then, add it to the dry ingredients along with the psyllium gel, olive oil and vinegar.
Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the psyllium gel, olive oil and vinegar.
Knead the dough until it's smooth and all the ingredients are evenly incorporated. Use a rubber spatula to occasionally scrape along the sides and bottom of the bowl to prevent any dry patches of unmixed flour.
The final dough should be smooth, supple and fairly soft, with no lumps of un-mixed flour or psyllium gel, and it should come away from the sides of the mixing bowl. It will be slightly sticky to the touch, but resist the temptation to add more flour to it, as that can make your ciabatta rolls too dense and dry.

Shaping & proofing the ciabatta rolls:

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and give it a gentle knead, shaping it into a ball.
Generously flour your work surface and roll out the dough into a rough rectangle, about 10x8½ inches (25x22cm) in size and just over ½ inch (1.5cm) thick.
Use a bench scraper or a sharp knife to divide the dough into six fairly equal smaller rectangles. Don't worry if they'rea bit uneven or wonky or of different shapes: ciabatta rolls are meant to be rustic!
Flip the ciabatta rolls upside down, so that their generously floured bottoms face upwards, and transfer them onto a large sheet of parchment/baking paper. Make sure that they're evenly spaced apart and not touching. (Ciabatta bread is known for its crusty, flour-streaked exterior, so don’t be tempted to brush off any of the excess flour.)
Make sure that your parchment/baking paper will comfortably fit onto your baking steel, baking stone or baking sheet.
Lightly cover the ciabatta rolls with a sheet of plastic wrap/cling film (to prevent them from drying out) and proof in a warm spot until doubled in size, this should take about 1 hour.
Tip: If your kitchen is on the cold side, put a cup of boiling hot water into your (turned-off) oven – that will create the perfect warm, slightly humid proofing environment.

Baking the ciabatta rolls:

Place a baking steel, a baking stone or a heavy-duty baking sheet turned upside-down on the lower middle oven rack and a cast iron skillet or metal baking tray (not glass!) on the bottom of the oven.
Preheat the oven to 475ºF (250ºC). Make sure to thoroughly preheat your oven, start preheating it after your rolls have been proofing for about 15 minutes.
Tip: Because you'll add ice cubes to the hot baking tray on the bottom of your oven to generate steam, it will experience quite a huge temperature change. So, don't use a glass baking tray/pan as it could shatter. I recommend cast iron, but a metal baking tray also works great.
Once your rolls have doubled in size, slide them (along with the parchment/baking paper) onto the hot baking steel, baking stone or baking sheet. Place 5-6 ice cubes into the bottom skillet or baking tray, close the oven door and immediately reduce the oven temperature to 425ºF (220ºC).
Bake the ciabatta rolls at 425ºF (220ºC) with steam for 10 minutes. Don’t open the oven door during that time.
After the 10 minutes, open the oven door to let out the steam and remove the bottom skillet or baking tray. Close the oven, keep the oven temperature at 425ºF (220ºC) and bake for 15 minutes longer until the rolls are deep golden brown.
Remove the ciabatta rolls from the oven and cool them on a wire rack.
It's very important that you allow them to cool completely to room temperature before you cut into them. If you slice into them while they’re still hot or warm, you’ll find that the interior can still be quite sticky, as it needs some time to cool and set.

Storage & reheating:

These gluten free ciabatta rolls are definitely at their very best fresh, on the day of baking. However, they keep very well in a closed container for 3-4 days, you just need to reheat them briefly before serving and eating them.
You can reheat them either in a 350ºF (180ºC) oven for 6-8 minutes, or toast/reheat them in a toaster.

Tried this recipe?Mention @theloopywhisk or tag #theloopywhisk!