The use of flour and leavening, two elements that form the base of modern bread, developed over centuries.
Historically, early loaves of bread were made with millet, barley and rye, depending on what grew well, agriculturally.
Leavening wasn’t used in the early days, which means you didn’t have hard crusts with soft centers, but once it was developed, it changed the scope of bread as well as its availability.
With that in mind, Ciabatta is a modern style of bread. It was created in the Comasco region in the 1970s, and further developed in the Rovigotto region, where it is most commonly produced. In Comasco, ciabatta was make of pasta for blown breads, “refreshed ”, in other words, softened with water and this type of production was used in order to recycle dough used in other productions. In 1982, near the “mulini adriesi,” Armando Cavallari, a former race car driver, decided to carry on his family’s bread production and ciabatta proliferated.

The secret: a flour fit for long leavening

Cavallari adopted the same production system used in Comasco, but he used a whole wheat flour called “tipo 1 Italia.”
This type of flour allowed longer leavening periods and developed aromatic bread, with a soft center rich in  (occhiatura alveolata).
Cavallari started to promote this flour and his new bread worldwide; in Italy, he organized free courses for bakers, to include them in the “ciabatta Italiana” project.
Chefs that took part in the project promised to use only the “tipo 1 Italia” flour, produced in the molini adriesi, and used a stamp on their product that guaranteed it was “ciabatta Italia”. This served as a guarantee for the customer.

Special product marketing

The initiative was a marketing success. In order to have excellent quality bread, you have to let the dough rise for a significant amount of time, which produces a lighter, more digestible, aromatic and fragrant product that lasts longer.
You begin with a pre-dough called “biga” that has to ferment for 18-24 hours; then malt, water and salt are added.
Now you have a soft mixture called “setificato.”
You spread the setificato and let it leaven for 45-50 minutes, cut it into rectangles and let them rise again.
Finally, each rectangle is kneaded and after resting 15 minutes, can be baked.

Nut-Brown, friable, crunchy crust

Ciabatta has a nut-brown crust with a dusting of flour.
It has an even consistency, has a crunchy exterior with soft center. Inside, it is white, sometimes straw yellow.
The aroma is fragrant with a fresh nut taste.

Uses

Slice and toast ciabatta, then top it with a traditional bruschetta, or make it into a “crostone” with a meat sauce.
You can also spread it with liver pâté. It is also good with soft cheeses, for example, blue cheese or taleggio; with stewed fish and meats, and with tripe in tomato sauce.
It can also be used to prepare sandwiches, especially melts.
Ciabatta goes well with breaded slices of meat, butter, or with a cold omelette with onions.

TECHNICAL FILE

Name: ciabatta.
Type: soft dough bread.
Raw material: corn flour “tipo 1 Italia”.
Shape: flat, with a rectangular base, slightly oval.
Organoleptic analysis: nut-brown, good consistency, but at the same time, it is also crunchy and friable; soft center; white, sometimes straw yellow; fragrant aroma, fresh nut taste.
Gastronomic combinations: with juicy plates, such as stewed meat or fish; tripe in tomato sauce; it is also good with soft cheeses, as for example, blue cheese or taleggio; with pâté; it can also be used to prepare sandwiches, bruschetta or crostini.