Ciabatta

Ciabatta is the Italian word for 'slipper', which goes some way to describing the appearance of this traditional long, flat, rustic loaf made with unbleached strong wheat flour and olive oil.

The bread is prepared using a starter dough, which is allowed to rise overnight. When this dough is ready, the remaining ingredients are combined with the starter and left to rise for several more hours. The resulting loaf has a light, open structure, a crisp, chewy, floury crust and a slightly sweet-sour taste. Although it is usually made plain, other ingredients may also be added, such as sun-dried tomatoes or chopped olives.

Ciabatta may be cut into thick vertical slices and served as an accompaniment to salads, soups and pasta dishes, or sliced horizontally and filled with cold meat, cheese or other sandwich fillings. It is also ideal for dipping into olive oil.