--- title: "Homemade Ciabatta — Italian Pan Chapata Bread Recipe" description: "Versión en Español. Homemade ciabatta, called pan chapata in Chile, is a very wet Italian bread made from a 12-hour starter of bread flour, water, milk, yeast, and honey, mixed with more flour, water,..." url: https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/homemade-ciabatta-pan-chapata-bread-recipe/ date: 2026-09-27 modified: 2026-09-27 author: "Carlos Uhart M." image: https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/homemade-ciabatta-pan-chapata-featured.jpg categories: ["Breads"] type: post lang: en --- # Homemade Ciabatta — Italian Pan Chapata Bread Recipe [Versión en Español](https://comidaschilenas.com/receta-de-pan-ciabatta-o-pan-chapata-casero/) ![Homemade Italian ciabatta bread with a crisp crust and airy crumb](https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/homemade-ciabatta-pan-chapata-featured.jpg)*Homemade ciabatta or pan chapata* Homemade ciabatta, called pan chapata in Chile, is a very wet Italian bread made from a 12-hour starter of bread flour, water, milk, yeast, and honey, mixed with more flour, water, salt, olive oil, and yeast, beaten until elastic, left to triple for 3 hours, shaped gently into two loaves, and baked at 220 C (428 F) for 30 minutes. It takes 15 hours of preparation, mostly fermentation, plus 30 minutes of baking and serves 4 people. Its name, Italian for slipper, comes from its flat, elongated shape, and its long rise and high hydration give a light, open crumb. ## How to Make Ciabatta at Home? A traditional ciabatta starts a day ahead with a starter, which is then mixed into a very soft dough and handled gently so the large air bubbles survive. No extra flour is added during mixing, since the moisture creates the open crumb. ## Nutritional Information Each serving of ciabatta contains approximately 250 kcal, 50 g of carbohydrates, 1 g of fat, 8 g of protein, 2 g of fiber, 1 g of sugars, 0 mg of cholesterol, and 450 mg of sodium. These values are estimates and may vary depending on ingredients and portion sizes. ## Homemade Ciabatta (Pan Chapata) Recipe **Preparation:** 15 hours **Cooking:** 30 minutes **Servings:** 4 people ### Ingredients **Starter** - 150 g (1 1/4 cups) of bread flour - 150 ml (2/3 cup) of water - 3 teaspoons of milk - 1/2 teaspoon of dry yeast - 1/2 teaspoon of honey **Ciabatta Dough** - 350 g (2 3/4 cups) of bread flour - 250 ml (1 cup) of water - 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt - 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil - 1/2 teaspoon of dry yeast ### Instructions 1. For the starter, sprinkle the yeast into a large bowl, add the water and milk, and let stand for 5 minutes. Add the honey and the starter flour and stir until just combined. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for at least 12 hours. ![Dry yeast activating for the ciabatta starter](https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/yeast-for-chupon-chicha.jpg)*Dry yeast* 1. Sprinkle the dough yeast into a small bowl with a little of the water, let it stand for 5 minutes, and stir until dissolved. Place the starter in a medium bowl and add the dissolved yeast, the rest of the water, and the olive oil, and mix well. ![Bread flour for the ciabatta dough](https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/sifted-flour-homemade-donuts.jpg)*Bread flour* 1. In a large bowl, combine the sifted flour, salt, and the starter mixture into a wet, sticky dough. Beat with a wooden spoon for 5 minutes, until spongy and starting to pull away from the sides but still too soft to knead. Cover and let rise for 3 hours, or until tripled and full of bubbles. Do not punch it down. ![Risen, bubbly bread dough](https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/risen-pan-frica-dough.jpg)*Risen dough* 1. Divide the dough in half in the bowl and turn one half onto a well-floured baking sheet. With floured hands, shape a rectangle about 30 cm (12 in) long, tucking the edges underneath to build up the sides. Repeat with the other half and let rise, uncovered, for 20 more minutes; the loaves will spread. 2. Bake in an oven preheated to 220 C (428 F) for 30 minutes, until puffed, golden, and hollow-sounding when tapped underneath. Cool on a rack so the crust stays crisp. ## Additional Tips ### Do not add extra flour Ciabatta dough is very wet; resisting extra flour is what creates the large, irregular holes. ### Judge by the dough, not the clock Let both the starter and dough rise fully; baking too early gives a dense loaf. ### Add steam Place a pan of hot water in the oven or spray the walls with water before baking for a crisp, golden crust. | Original ingredient | Substitute | Ratio | Flavor note | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Bread flour | All-purpose flour | 1:1 | Smaller holes | | Starter | Extra yeast in the dough | 1 teaspoon | Less complex flavor | | Honey | Sugar | 1:1 | Same result | | Two loaves | Four small rolls | | Bake 18 to 20 minutes | ## Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) ### 1. Why doesn’t my ciabatta have big holes? Usually because extra flour was added or the dough did not rise long enough, both of which reduce the hydration and fermentation needed. ### 2. Can I make ciabatta without a starter? Yes, with more yeast in the final dough, although the flavor will be less complex than with a long fermentation. ### 3. How should I store it? At room temperature in a cloth or paper bag for a day or two, or frozen after baking and reheated in the oven. ### 4. How is ciabatta different from focaccia? Ciabatta has an airier crumb and a firmer crust for sandwiches, while focaccia is flatter, richer in olive oil, and often topped with herbs or olives. ## What Is Ciabatta? Ciabatta is a flat, rustic Italian bread with a very open crumb and a thin, crisp crust, known in Chile as pan chapata and popular for sandwiches. ## The Benefits of Homemade Bread Baking your own bread gives you full control over the ingredients, from the type of flour to the amount of salt. ## Did You Know? Ciabatta is a surprisingly modern bread, created in 1982 in the Veneto region of Italy by baker Arnaldo Cavallari as an Italian answer to the French baguette. ## Recommended - [Chilean Pan Frica Burger Bun](https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/chilean-pan-frica-homemade-burger-bun-recipe/) - [Homemade Yeast-Free Bread](https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/homemade-yeast-free-bread-pan-sin-levadura-recipe/) - [Garlic and Oregano Breadsticks](https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/homemade-garlic-oregano-breadsticks-palitos-de-ajo-recipe/) - [Chilean Milk Bread Rolls](https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/chilean-milk-bread-rolls-pan-de-leche-recipe/)