Ciabatta as we know it is a modern invention (early 1980s), Italian rustic breads with similar texture and structure were made long before commercial yeast or stand mixers — using natural fermentation, strong hands, and time.

Wait — Ciabatta is modern?

Yes! Ciabatta was invented in 1982 by Arnaldo Cavallari in Adria, Veneto (Italy), as a response to the popularity of French baguettes. He called it “ciabatta polesana” — “slipper from Polesine” — due to its flat, wide shape.

But traditional Italian bakers were making high-hydration, airy breads long before then — just under different names.

So how would a pre-modern ciabatta-like bread be made?

1. Leavening: Natural Sourdough (Lievito Madre)

• Before chemical/commercial yeast, bakers used a natural starter: a mix of flour and water fermented with wild yeast and lactobacilli.

• “Lievito madre” or “pasta acida” was common in Italy.

• It gave the bread a light tang, and built structure over time.

2. Mixing: By hand

• Doughs were very wet (70–80% hydration or more), requiring:

  • A wide wooden trough or bowl

  • Strong hands and lots of stretch & fold

  • Long resting/autolyse periods to let gluten form passively

3. Bulk Fermentation: Long and slow

• Typically 8–12 hours at cool ambient temperatures

• Multiple stretch-and-folds during rest

• Dough became extensible, full of air pockets

4. Shaping: Minimal handling

• The dough was scraped onto a floured surface, roughly divided, and gently stretched — never kneaded at this stage

• Left to proof in linen cloths (couche), then baked on stone

5. Baking: Stone hearth + steam

• Baked in wood-fired ovens

• Steam created via water tossed on the oven floor or hot pans to get the crackly crust and open crumb