Making bread at home always gives an incredible satisfaction… but making it in an air fryer is even more surprising and today I propose my Ciabattine (or Small Loaves) in the air fryer 🥰: Crispy crust and soft interior.
These ciabattine (or small loaves) come from the union of type 00 flour and semolina, a perfect mix to obtain a golden, fragrant crust and a soft but well-structured crumb.
They are ideal to accompany cold cuts, cheeses, main courses or simply to enjoy warm with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. And the best part? You don’t need to turn on the oven!
In the steps I also explain how to manage proofing in the multicooker, a practical and convenient solution especially if the environment is cold or you want a more stable temperature for perfect bread.
It’s not the first time I’ve shown that you can obtain great bread in the air fryer — I did it with the recipe for Panini al Cucchiaio, a quick no-knead recipe. So with the right timing and a well-balanced dough, the result is truly surprising. Crunchy outside, soft inside… just like traditional oven bread.
Note for those who don’t have an air fryer: no problem! You can bake these Ciabattine (or Small Loaves) in a conventional oven as well. In the dedicated section you will find precise instructions with times and temperatures.
Come on, let’s prepare them right away!
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 3
- Cooking methods: Air frying, Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
Ingredients for 3/4 ciabattine
- 2 cups 00 flour (type 00 / all-purpose)
- 2 cups re-milled durum semolina flour
- 1 tsp dry yeast (or 9 g fresh yeast (about 1/3 oz))
- 1 tsp sugar (small coffee/espresso spoon)
- 1 1/2 cups water (≈ 370 ml)
- 2 tsp salt (about 2 teaspoons)
Tools
Recommended tools
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Kitchen scale
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Non-stick tray (for proofing in the multicooker)
- 1 Dough scraper
Steps
Preparation of the Ciabattine (or small loaves)
Start by activating the yeast: in a glass pour a portion of the total water at room temperature. Add the dry yeast and the teaspoon of sugar, stir and let rest for 5 minutes.
In a large bowl combine the type 00 flour and the semolina flour.
Pour the water with the yeast little by little and start mixing with a spoon or spatula. When all the flour is hydrated, add the salt.
Mix until you obtain a rough, very soft dough. You don’t need to knead for long: just make sure there are no dry parts.
Cover and let rest for 20 minutes (short autolyse).
Folds and bulk fermentation: With slightly wet hands, perform a set of folds in the bowl: lift one side of the dough and fold it toward the center. Repeat for all four sides. Cover with a cotton cloth and let rest for 20 minutes. Repeat this operation two more times.
After the last set of folds, let the dough rest until it reaches 2 hours total of fermentation or until doubled in size, including the rest times between folds.
In the end the dough should look puffy. If the environment is cold, you can proof the dough in the turned-off oven with the light on. This will create a slightly warmer and more constant temperature, ideal to encourage fermentation without fluctuations.
Proofing in the Ninja Combi 12-in-1 multicooker: Once the dough is ready, transfer it to a non-stick tray. Pour 500 ml (about 2 cups) of water into the Combi tray, insert the rack and place the tray with the dough on top. Put it inside the Combi and move the switch to Combi Cooker.
Start the “Proof” program at 95°F (35°C). After 20 minutes, with slightly wet hands, do a round of folds in the tray: lift a side of the dough and fold it toward the center. Repeat for all four sides. Restart the program and repeat this operation twice until you reach a total of 1 hour and 45 minutes of proofing.
Shaping the ciabattine: Gently turn the dough out onto a surface well dusted with semolina. Without deflating it, spread it slightly with your hands and with a dough scraper or a knife, divide the dough into 3–4 rectangular pieces.
Don’t shape them too much: leave them irregular to obtain a rustic shape.
Dust the surface lightly with semolina.
Place the ciabattine on the tray or in the basket laying them on the rack.
Preheat for 2–3 minutes on the bake or air fry program and bake at 356°F (180°C) for 20 minutes.
Raise the temperature to 392°F (200°C) and continue for 4–5 minutes more. If necessary, you can gently turn them during the last 5 minutes. They should be golden.
Remove the tray or basket and let them cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing: the interior will continue to settle and will be perfectly soft.
Every time I prepare these ciabattine (or small loaves) in the air fryer, I’m reminded how incredible it is to get fragrant, soft homemade bread without turning on the oven. With a little patience and some tricks, we can bring the smell of freshly baked bread straight to our table
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Baking in the Oven
Preheat and bake at 392°F (200°C) conventional or 356°F (180°C) fan-forced for 25–30 minutes, until golden.
Place on a baking sheet and for a crunchier crust spray a little water on the surface before baking. Let them cool slightly before slicing.
Tips and Storage
Tips
For an even crispier crust, you can lightly spray water on the surface before baking.
Do not overwork the dough after proofing to avoid deflating it;
The dough should remain soft, do not add too much flour.
The rests between sets of folds allow the gluten to develop, don’t skip them.
Do not cut them straight out of the oven: let them cool at least 10–15 minutes.
Storage
You can store the ciabattine at room temperature for 1 day in a paper bag; avoid plastic to prevent softening the crust.
The next day, reheat them 3–4 minutes in the air fryer at 338–356°F (170–180°C) to bring back their crispness.
You can freeze them, whole or already halved, in food bags for up to 2 months.
Defrost at room temperature and then reheat 4–5 minutes in the air fryer at 338–356°F (170–180°C); they will return crispy outside and soft inside.
You can store the ciabattine at room temperature for 1 day in a paper bag; avoid plastic to prevent softening the crust.
The next day, reheat them 3–4 minutes in the air fryer at 338–356°F (170–180°C) to bring back their crispness.
You can freeze them, whole or already halved, in food bags for up to 2 months.
Defrost at room temperature and then reheat 4–5 minutes in the air fryer at 338–356°F (170–180°C); they will return crispy outside and soft inside.
