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

Why fire up the old communal oven when you could grab a ciabatta at the supermarket?

From Salon • May 27, 2025

Tear the ciabatta into big, rough chunks, about 1 1/2-inches large.

From Washington Times • Jul. 20, 2023

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

From BBC • May 10, 2023

Restaurants know it helps to have to a gimmick, and this one, from Venezuelan chef Enrique Limardo, features a whopper: two pounds of short ribs packed into what looks like a loaf of house-baked ciabatta.

From Washington Post • Dec. 19, 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