Ciabatta is an Italian style of bread that's long, flat, and broad, with a crusty exterior and airy, light interior. And it's actually a pretty recent creation.

Ciabatta dough is extremely wet ... flour or rush the prove as it will spoil the the texture of the finished loaf. Equipment and preparation: for this recipe you will need a freestanding mixer ...

"The idea started from making a better bread then a French baguette. Ciabatta bread for sure is known in more than 50 countries in the world." That's Arnaldo's best friend, Marco Vianello.

Mary's new favourite lunch – quick and easy to make and oh so tasty. If your ciabatta loaf is long and narrow, cut it on the diagonal to give a larger surface area to hold all the topping.