Crust thickness

Thanks to this forum, my ongoing experiments with Jason's recipe are excellent.  The other day my wife brought home a Ciabatta loaf from the bakery that we consider the best; the standard to aim for.  By comparison, my attempts are getting closer; good holes, good taste and texture, but I was surprised by the thick crust on their bread - nearly 1/4" thick.  Probably their commercial ovens make some difference, but is it possible that once the dough does it's "triple rise" one can roll the "puffy, wobly loaves" in lots of flour to make the outside more firm and dry thus making a thicker crust?  I don't mean any kneading or rough handling to pop all those inner bubbles, but just allowing the outer moist layer to pick up plenty of flour to increase the crust thickness.  Does this sound reasonable or am I missing something important?