Would it shock you to know that there are about 350 types of bread in Italy? (https://www.deliciousitaly.com/puglia-food/italian-bread-types) Most have a deep and rich history, steeped in tradition – but strangely enough, not ciabatta – although you’d be excused for thinking it’s one of those centuries old bread types.
Sometimes one cannot rest on one’s laurels, sometimes one needs to reinvent the wheel… Sometimes the solution to a potential problem can be a runaway success – making it hard to comprehend a time when it didn’t exist... Such is the success of ciabatta.
This Italian bread was first produced in 1982 by Arnaldo Cavallari, a miller and baker in a small town close to Venice. The highly popular French Baguette was threatening the lucrative Italian sandwich market and it was necessary to develop a new bread that could hold fillings in response. After weeks of trial and error, testing various ingredient and production combinations, the ciabatta came to be, consisting of a soft, wet dough made with high gluten flour. The new bread was registered for trademark by Cavallari and was called ciabatta Polesano for Polseine where he lived. It was subsequently licenced to bakers in other countries. As is the case with most traditional recipes (bread or otherwise), many regions in Italy now have their own variations on the original.
The Ciabatta was so named due to its unique shape – a fairly elongated, broad and flattish loaf – not unlike a well-worn slipper. Not the most appetising name, but an accurate one non-the-less.
The thin, crispy crust and open texture don't come without their challenges! To crisp up the eggshell crust, Ciabatta is best served hot. However, when spreading butter onto warm ciabatta slices, most of the butter escapes through the holes, either back onto your plate, lap or chin – or a combination thereof. An easy solution, or "life hack” if you will – when making a sandwich from a heated loaf, it’s best to slice it horizontally so that you have the crust on the top and bottom of your sandwich to catch your butter and other melt-able spreads… Alternatively, one can use panini (small loaves of ciabatta) to the same effect.
Slices are perfectly brilliant at scooping up sauces and soups and, if you’re looking for something to dip, whether it be into a baked Camembert or a combination of good quality olive oil and balsamic vinegar – look no further than the ciabatta stick. It’s not traditional Italian fare, but it works!
What I love about Italian food is the passion that has inspired it and that, in return, inspires. Where there is passion, there is creativity. Where there is creativity – the possibilities are endless…just like the ciabatta.
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