ciabatta

Ciabatta, or 'slipper' bread is a flattish, elongated loaf with a crispy crust and holey, densely textured crumb. It would hardly be something Cinderella would put on her feet, even when she was reduced to sitting in the fireplace amid the ashes, but is great for panini and as an accompaniment to salads. It is made with either a sourdough starter or biga.

Ciabatta is a rare bread in that it has an inventor—Arnaldo Cavallari, in his bakery in Adria in 1982. Cavallari wanted to come up with an Italian bread for sandwiches to rival the pane francese (aka baguette-style loaves) that were sweeping the nation as sandwiches became accepted as 'proper' food rather than big versions of tramezzini. It wasn't long before it became synonymous around the world with Italian panini.