Five things you didn't know about ciabatta bread
1. It's younger than you think
The light and fluffy bread, the ciabatta, was invented in 1982. Just 40 years ago!
Compare that to the French baguette, which is said to have been invented by Vienna-born baker August Zang in 1839, 143 years earlier.
What about bread itself?
Evidence of bread has been found in Neolithic sites in Turkey and Europe from around 9,100 years ago.
So in comparison, ciabatta is a remarkably young creation.
2. Born to battle the baguette
The ciabatta's creator Arnaldo Cavallari was a proud Italian who was sick of the popularity of the French baguette. It was everywhere.
His family owned a flour mill, so when Arnaldo decided to create a new bread, he knew he had access to good quality flour. He just needed some expertise to help and in 1982, he recruited two fellow bakers.
They spent weeks at Arnaldo's family mill testing new dough mixes, proving times, refining and adapting existing recipes and using his own flour mix. Together they tried to make a dough with more water than the French baguette.
3. The inventor had a very interesting career!
Arnaldo Cavallari was a four-time Italian rally champion and was a big character in the town of Adria.
He won in 1962 and 1963 in an Alfa Romeo Giulietta TI, in 1964 in an Alfa Romeo Giulia Super and in 1968 in a Lancia Fulvia HF.
In 1960, he participated in the gruelling Marathon de la Route, the classic road racing event originally known as Liège - Rome - Liège Rallye.
He wasn't just known for his racing, he was also president of the football club. He did charity work and he was often seen helping out his parents' flour mill.
4. The slipper
For those unfamiliar with ciabatta, the white loaves are slipper-shaped - a characteristic noticed by the three bakers when refining their recipe.
One of the bakers noticed that the bread hadn't risen very high, creating a slipper shape. He suggested to Arnaldo that the bread be named 'ciabatta', meaning 'slipper' in English.
5. Taking over in a matter of years
It took just three years for ciabatta bread to appear on shelves in the UK in 1985, and it appeared in the United States in the late 1980s.
By this point, Arnaldo was in his fifties and had retired from racing. But he certainly wasn't ready to take it easy. He travelled the world, spreading the word about his invention.
By 1999, Arnaldo's company Molini Adriesi, which means 'The Mills of Adria', had licensed bakers in 11 countries to produce his bread.
He even created 'Ciabatta Village' which exists in the former mills in Adria that he once owned. It was his dream to create a new area with a bakery, other kinds of shops and offices.
Want to know more about the creation of the ciabatta? Listen to Witness History on 麻豆社 Sounds
