ciabatta

American  

[chuh-bah-tuh, chah-baht-tah] / tʃəˈbɑ tə, tʃɑˈbɑt tɑ /

noun

1. a slightly flattened Italian yeast bread made with olive oil and having large air pockets within.

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ciabatta British  

/ tʃəˈbætə /

noun

1. a type of open-textured bread made with olive oil

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Etymology

Origin of ciabatta

1985-90; < Italian: literally, slipper

Explanation

Ciabatta is a broad, flat Italian bread that's deliciously chewy and great for sandwiches. Ciabatta is a relatively recent invention, developed by a baker in 1982 to be the Italian version of the baguette. These two loaves couldn't look more different; unlike the long French bread, ciabatta is boxy and flat (though not as flat as focaccia). They're both crusty on the outside and soft inside, but ciabatta is made with a wet dough that gives it lots of distinctive air holes. In Italian, ciabatta literally means "carpet slipper."

Example Sentences

Classic panzanella features some sort of firm white bread, anything from Italian bread to ciabatta to a Pullman loaf.

From Washington Times • Jul. 20, 2023

Spain’s bocadillo: Take a mini ciabatta and add chorizo – simple.

From BBC • May 10, 2023

Two pounds of short ribs encased in seemingly a loaf of ciabatta, stabbed in the center with a knife, has that effect on a table.

From Washington Post • Dec. 2, 2022

These footlong hoagies are overstuffed, with the melted cheese binding the fillings to keep them from falling out of the ciabatta bread.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 4, 2022

Our favorite way to show our love for garlic is by cooking the largest loaf of ciabatta bread that we possibly can and then spreading it with the garlickiest garlic butter.

From Salon • May 16, 2022