Mixed Olive Ciabatta

Ciabatta translates into slipper, for its oblong, slightly flattish shape. A tender bread with an airy crumb, it is terrific baked plain and eaten. It tastes like a bread of tradition, one of the Italian breads steeped in antiquity, redolent of authenticity. But...this is not the case. Well, not exactly. In Adria, a town near Venice, 1982, a small group of bread bakers gathered together to discuss the popularity of French baguettes and how Italian breads were being overwhelmed by their increasing prevalence, especially for sandwiches! What about the old standby of panini? Was Italian food on its way of being baguette-ed? Arnaldo Cavallari, a miller in his late forties, created a bread to rival the baguette. Like the baguette, it can be made into sandwiches, or spread with something tasty as a snack, or eaten with soup or a meal. He called it Ciabatta Polesano. He used a very wet high-gluten dough, and as all of his products are natural, he aimed for a very old-fashioned, traditional taste and sensation. First he was thrilled when he finally got the recipe to his satisfaction; then he looked at it and thought, 'What to call it?' As it was a similar shape to a slipper, he named it 'ciabatta'. Now Cavallari's firm, Molini Adriesi, licenses production of its ciabatta in 11 countries. Many regions of Italy now have their own variation of ciabatta: from the area around Lake Como, the ciabatta has a crisp crust and a very porous centre; in Tuscany, Umbria and Marche, the ciabatta has a firm crust and more open inner texture, and in Rome, a favourite seasoning is marjoram. New variations of the bread continue to be developed. Wholemeal ciabatta is known as ciabatta integrale; when the dough is enriched with milk, it becomes ciabatta al latte. In this version, black and green olives are added; so inviting when you slice into the bread and have each mouthful seasoned with a bite of lovely, salty olive. You don't need anything else, except perhaps butter or olive oil and tomatoes.