Italian Breads

This chewy, oily flatbread is quite versatile, and can be topped with a range of ingredients such as coarse sea salt, olive oil, herbs, tomatoes, or olives. Historians tend to believe it was invented either by the Etruscans or in ancient Greece, a... READ MORE

Literally translated to a slipper, as a reference to its shape, ciabatta is an Italian type of white bread made with yeast and wheat flour. It is characterized by numerous air pockets on the interior and a crispy crust. The first ciabatta... READ MORE

Even though today this griddled Italian flatbread is typically enjoyed as a sandwich (one of the most popular fillings includes prosciutto, creamy soft cheeses like squacquerone, tomatoes, and a handful of peppery wild arugula), Piada... READ MORE

This traditional Sicilian focaccia is an oven-baked flatbread topped with an oregano-flavored tomato sauce made with the addition of onions, anchovies, breadcrumbs, and local cheeses such as caciocavallo, provolone, tuma, or ricotta. Sfincione is ... READ MORE

This traditional Ligurian dish is a simple, oven-baked flatbread made only with chickpea flour, water, extra virgin olive oil, and salt. Its origins can be traced to Roman times, but according to legend, farinata as we know it today is said to hav... READ MORE

Scaccia is a unique dish from the Sicilian province of Ragusa that can either be described as a cross between lasagna and calzone pizza or a stuffed flatbread. It's prepared by topping the thinly rolled dough with various ingredients, then folding... READ MORE

Schiacciata is a traditional variety of bread made in Tuscany and Umbria, consisting of flour, olive oil, yeast, water, and sugar. It is quite similar to focaccia, although it takes much less effort to prepare schiacciata than focaccia. T... READ MORE

Popularly called carta musica, due to its resemblance to an old music sheet parchment, pane carasau is a traditional Sardinian flatbread whose origins have been traced to the Nuragic Age, circa 1900-730 BCE. Because of its long storage li... READ MORE

This Apulian delicacy is traditionally prepared with a soft, yeasted dough that combines semolina, wheat flour, and mashed potatoes. It is usually topped with cherry tomatoes and olives, but some varieties occasionally employ other combination of ... READ MORE

Crescentina modenese is a traditional, disk-shaped Italian bread that is crispy on the exterior and soft on the interior. It is traditionally baked in special stones called tigelle (the reason why the flatbread is sometimes called like th... READ MORE

Frisele or frise is a traditional rusk originating from Puglia. It's made with a combination of plain flour, semolina flour, sea salt, yeast, and water. The rusks are double-baked, which greatly improves their shelf life. In the past, the... READ MORE

Decorative casatiello is a traditional Easter bread. It is prepared with leavened dough, made with lard or olive oil, which is then filled with meat and cheese, rolled, and baked in a large ring mold. The stuffing is made with pork salumi, Italian... READ MORE

Prepared in the same traditional way for hundreds of years, the Sicilian pane a l'antico rustico or simply pane rustico is a type of homemade sourdough bread. The slightly flattened pane rustico is typically baked in a wood-fired oven, an... READ MORE

Focaccia alla Genovese is believed to be the original focaccia. Hailing from Genova, this classic focaccia is coated in olive oil and sprinkled with coarse sea salt. Unlike other focaccias, this one is traditionally shaped into a flat rectangle. I... READ MORE

Traditionally made since the Middle Ages, pane Toscano or pane sciocco is a variety of bread commonly found in the central Italian regions of Tuscany, Umbria, and the Marches. Back then, to show their displeasure with the imposed regulati... READ MORE

Michetta is a traditional white bread characterized by its round and bulbous shape, hard crust, and an airy, slightly hollow texture of the interior. It is believed that michetta was invented in Lombardy during the period of the Austrian rule. At ... READ MORE

Pane guttiau is a traditional flatbread originating from Sardinia. It's very similar to pane carasau, but guttiau is even thinner. The flatbread looks like thin leaves with long cracks, and it was originally made for shepherds who took it with the... READ MORE

Schüttelbrot is a traditional flatbread originating from South Tyrol, or to be precise, the Isarco valley, in particular in Fiè allo Sciliar. It's usually made with a combination of rye flour, wheat flour, yeast and sugar, salt, oil, a... READ MORE

Crescentina is a type of puffed bread made with flour, lard, salt, milk and a leavening agent (sometimes with the addition of cracklings). The dough is fried in lard and served hot. Although very delicious on its own, crescentina is usually served... READ MORE

Named after a town settled on one of the Murge plateau hills, pane di Altamura is a country-style sourdough bread that has been traditionally produced in the provinces of Bari and Barletta-Andria-Trani for centuries. It is made only with durum whe... READ MORE

Named after an ancient city and the province of its origin, pane di Matera is a country-style sourdough bread made with semolina dough, natural yeast, salt, and water. Due to special kneading methods and the use of a local wheat variety called READ MORE

Schiacciatina Mantovana (also known as chisolina) is a type of crunchy, rectangular or square-shaped flatbread from Mantua, with an ancient history – under the name schizzadas, they were even known during the rule of Gonzag... READ MORE

Pagnotta is a traditional round loaf of bread, known for its rustic appearance and crusty exterior. It is typically made with wheat flour, water, yeast, and salt, resulting in a soft, airy crumb inside. Pagnotta is often baked in a wood-fired oven... READ MORE

Tortano is a flavorful Italian bread that is stuffed with a variety of ingredients such as eggs, cheese, ham, and pork cracklings. It is traditionally prepared for Easter and baked in the shape of a ring. This delicious treat can be paired with va... READ MORE

A real Tuscan specialty originating from the historical region of Garfagnana, schiacciata con ciccioli, locally known as ciaccia coi ciccioli, is a type of focaccia-style flatbread studded with crunchy pork cracklings. Its name stems from... READ MORE

Pinzini ferraresi is a type of fried flatbread traditionally prepared in the Italian city of Ferrara. The dough is made with flour, yeast, lard or oil, water, and salt. It is first flattened, then cut and deep-fried until golden brown. Pinzini are... READ MORE

Scarpaccia is a traditional flatbread that can be prepared in savory or sweet versions. It consists of ingredients such as flour, eggs, butter, zucchini, zucchini flowers (if available), milk, vanilla powder, olive oil, and either salt or sugar. T... READ MORE

Ciriola is a traditional Roman bread that is crusty on the exterior, with a tender crumb on the inside. The name ciriola means candle in Italian, but in its local name it refers to the eels, which are visually not unlike... READ MORE

Torta al testo or crescia is a traditional flatbread hailing from Umbria. It's a type of circular, thick griddle bread that's named after the circular pan (testo) on which it's prepared. There are many recipes, but crescia is typically ma... READ MORE

The crunchy-crusted pane Pugliese, a porous rustic bread whose origins can be traced to the 15th century, is said to be a legacy of the brown country bread which was brought to Apulia by the Turks who ruled the south of Italy at the time. This del... READ MORE

Pane frattau is a traditional Sardinian dish that was originally invented by local farmers as a way to use up old bread. It consists of the wafer-thin and crispy pane carasau flatbread which is first dunked in hot broth, then toppe... READ MORE

Shaped like a double twisted loaf, this traditional bread is prepared with flour, pork lard, extra-virgin olive oil, sourdough, salt, water, and malt. Characterized by its golden color and a distinctive taste, coppia is a signature dish of Ferrara... READ MORE

Piadina fritta, also called piè fretta, sometimes even pizza fritta, is a thin, golden-brown fried bread prepared alongside Santerno Valley in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna. A very simple dough made with water, flou... READ MORE

Puccia (pucce) bread is a traditional bread from the Puglia region, known for its soft, chewy texture and round shape reaching up to 20 cm (8") in diameter. It is typically made from durum wheat flour, baked in a wood-fired oven, very hollow with ... READ MORE

Categorized somewhere between a cookie and a rusk, biscotti del Lagaccio are named after a Genovese quarter where they were allegedly invented around 1593. In the beginning, they were simple double-baked biscuits made only with flour, butter, yeas... READ MORE

Pizza secca, meaning dry pizza, derives its name from the crunchy, crispy texture it develops once it’s baked. It is not a regular pizza but a type of schiacciatina, a very thin flatbread with a topping that resembles a piz... READ MORE

Puddica, a simple Italian flatbread from Puglia consists of a dough (made with flour, yeast, salt, sugar, water, and olive oil) that is traditionally topped with ripe tomatoes and sprinkled with oregano in the classic version. However, there are v... READ MORE

Pane di Monte Sant'Angelo is a distinctive bread from the town of Monte Sant'Angelo in the Gargano area of Puglia, known for its particular characteristics, such as a soft yet crunchy crust and a dense, soft interior. The bread is traditionally ma... READ MORE

Babà rustico is a Neapolitan savory bread consisting of flour, milk, yeast, eggs, and oil. Once prepared, the dough is filled with salami, prosciutto cotto, grated parmesan or grana padano, and cubes of provolone, scamorza, or fontina chees... READ MORE

Filone is a traditional bread from Tuscany, visually similar to the famous French baguette, consisting of flour, olive oil, yeast, water, and salt. The bread has a hard, crispy crust on the exterior, and a light, airy crumb on the interio... READ MORE

This traditional Italian flatbread is prepared with a simple dough that combines flour, water, and salt. The dough is shaped into small discs that are then baked on small-sized terracotta plates, known as testi, over an open fire. Panigac... READ MORE

This round bread comes from Sardinia. It is usually made with a combination of regular flour and semolina flour, water, salt, and yeast. The crust is crispy, while the interior is slightly yellow and tender. In the past, it used to be made once a ... READ MORE