When you think of Italian gastronomy, pizza, pasta and espresso are the first things that spring to mind. But Italian cuisine has also given the world another speciality: ciabatta. It is the history, texture and taste of this fascinating bread that makes it exceptional and has made it famous worldwide over the decades.
The history of ciabatta
Unlike many other traditional foods, ciabatta is relatively new to the world of food, because this Italian bread only saw the light of day in the 20th century. In the 1980s, an Italian baker, Arnaldo Cavallari, decided to create a new kind of bread that would satisfy modern tastes and techniques while preserving Italian traditions. The name “ciabatta” comes from the Italian word “shoe”, which refers to the shape of the bread. The typical shape of ciabatta is flat and long, similar to a shoe.
Texture and taste
The specificity of ciabatta lies in its structure and the fact that it is made olive oil are used. A pasta moist and sticky, which allows the inside of the bread to remain very soft and airy, while the outside remains crispy. The combination of high quality flour, water, yeast and salt is simple, yet the result is extremely tasty. The bread has a slightly sour taste, which is the result of the low yeast content and the long rising time.
Preparing the ciabatta
However, it takes some practice to prepare. The wet dough can make mixing and shaping a challenge, but the result is well worth the effort. The dough rises for long periods of time, up to several hours, during which the natural sugars in the bread ferment, contributing to its exceptional flavour. After the dough is shaped, the bread is placed in the oven where it is baked at high temperatures to achieve a crispy outside and soft inside texture. Today, it is not only In Italy Popular. It is recognised around the world and is a staple bread in many restaurants and bakeries. It is often used to make both hot and cold sandwiches, as the inside of the bread holds the ingredients well while the outside retains its crispness.
Mediterranean ciabatta recipe
Ingredients for 10 people:
- 10 Bridor ciabatta bread
- 40 falafel
- 30 g diced feta cheese
- 400 g tzatziki
- 1 g oregano
- 50 g black olives
- 1 g cumin
- 1 purple onion cut in half
- 100 g cocktail tomatoes
- 100 g bird salad
- Salt, pepper
Preparation:
Cut the ciabatta in half lengthways and fry in a little olive oil. Spread the bottom with the tzatiki and place the onion slices on top. Top with the falafel balls, tomatoes, feta and bird salad. Sprinkle with seasoning to taste, top and you're done!
