Top 78 Italian Breads

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. It consists of flour, yeast, salt, sugar, water, and olive oil. The dough is simply baked in the oven until the focaccia becomes golden brown, crispy, and shiny. The flatbread is locally known as fugassa.Expand

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 ingredients, such as different vegetables, coarse salt, or rosemary. Always baked in round tins, focaccia is usually doused in olive oil and is best served lukewarm.Expand

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 or piadina Romagnola was once merely a staple of the poor, often made with maize flour and called la pjida ad furmantoun in Romagnolan dialect. In his poem entitled La Piada, which is sort of an ode to the beloved Romagnolan piadina, a 19th century Italian poet Giovanni Pascoli calls it "the bread of poverty, humanity, and freedom", describing it as "smooth as a leaf and as big as the moon." Since then, the humble, rustic piadina has come a long way and even today takes a special place in the regional cuisine, having been awarded the Protected Geographical Indication status. Le piadine, in plural, can take virtually any ingredients as their filling, and they can be easily found freshly prepared at numerous street kiosks called piadinerie, as it is best to eat a piadina only minutes after it comes off the cast-iron griddle while it's still pliable and warm - the perfect frame for the almost-melting soft cheese and delectable, thinly sliced charcuterie.Expand

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, although unleavened flatbreads have long been made throughout the Middle East. The name focaccia is derived from the Roman panis focacius, meaning “hearth bread”, referring to the fact that focaccia was traditionally baked in coals in Roman times. The basic recipe spread to France and Spain over time, where the bread is known as fouaisse and hogaza, respectively. Foccacia’s pockmarked appearance results from indentations made in the dough to prevent large bubbles from appearing on its surface during baking. Today, savory versions of focaccia are topped with rosemary, sage, garlic, cheese, and onions, while sweet varieties can be topped with honey, raisins, sugar, and lemon peel, among others.Expand

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 have been invented in August of 1284, when the Republic of Genoa defeated Pisa in the battle of Meloria in the Ligurian Sea. On their way back home, the Genoese ships were hit by a tempest, and some of the olive oil and chickpea flour barrels broke, they were mixed together, then moistened by salty sea water. After the tempest, realizing they didn’t have anything else to eat, the sailors put this mixture to dry in the sun and consumed it. Often flavored with rosemary, farinata di ceci can be eaten plain or enjoyed with creamy stracchino or crescenza cheese and a touch of pesto alla Genovese.Expand

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 them to the pastures because it keeps very well – if kept dry, it stays edible for a whole year. The dough is rolled as thinly as possible, and it is then baked until the edges start to rise up. Pane guttiau is often brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt, then eaten as a snack. It's also commonly served with salami and cheese.Expand

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 was made in 1982 by a Veronese miller and baker named Arnaldo Cavallari. The bread was invented as a response to the rising popularity of French baguette, as the bakers were worried that it might endanger their business. Ciabatta is considered an ideal choice for sandwiches because the crumb absorbs liquids very well. Today, many regions in Italy have their own variations of the original recipe, producing ciabattas with olive oil, whole wheat flour, marjoram, and milk.Expand

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, and pairs perfectly with many dishes of Sicilian cuisine, particularly soups and stews. Crusty on the outside and wonderfully tender on the inside, it is also great as an accompaniment to cold cuts and cheese. In Sicily, pane rustico is often enjoyed fresh from the oven, generously drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and simply seasoned with salt and coarsely ground black pepper.Expand

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. The name schiacciata means pressed, referring to the process of pressing the dough with fingers when it gets placed in baking tins or pans. The texture of this bread is crunchy, yet soft and moist, and it can be topped with anything from tomatoes and cheese to garlic and oregano.Expand

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 with fresh soft cheeses and cold cuts typical for the region, or with jam and chocolate-hazelnut spreads in the sweet version. It is typical for Bologna, but similar dishes can be found throughout the Emilia Romagna region, and the name varies depending on the city: gnocco fritto in Modena, pinzino in Ferrara, torta fritta in Parma, chisulen in Piacenza. The name might vary, but these crunchy little pockets of fried dough remain a local favorite.Expand