From Pane Casareccio di Genzano Igp to Pane di Altamura Dop, from Piadina Romagnola to Apulian Taralli, each Italian region has a specific type of bread, synonymous with the richness of the Italian territory
Bread is by definition a poor food; to do it just a few ingredients: flour, water and yeast.
But just add an ingredient, vary the shape, work the dough for more or less time and the results can be multiple and surprising.
“Where there is a piece of bread there is family, friendship, sharing. The simplest food that holds the secret of the greatest complexity, that of the Italian tradition.”
Bread is a cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet and although it is not recommended to eat it in abundance, it is difficult to give it up. However, according to your tastes or dietary needs, it is possible to choose a certain type, and the beautiful country in this sense offers a wide choice. For each Italian region there is one or more types of bread.
Bread evolution
To date, in Italy, there are about 250 types of bread that change according to the region: unsalted bread in Tuscany and Marche, Lazio rosetta, pitta from Calabria, Altamura bread in Puglia, wheat bread in Salento, Sardinian carasau and Turin breadsticks in Piedmont are just a few examples of the evolution that bread has undergone over the course of the various eras.
Bakeries nowadays even enjoy the nickname of boutique, so varied and spectacular is the variety of bread they offer every day, with shapes and ingredients of all kinds, flavors for all tastes, different sizes, recipes and aromas with sometimes curious names that allow a glimpse of local history and customs.