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Have you ever wondered about the most popular Italian breads? As you take a bite of freshly baked ciabatta or dip a slice of focaccia in olive oil. Italians are known for their love of food, especially dough. In addition to their mastery of pizza and pasta, they also make delicious breads that are well worth trying.
However, each region of Italy has its own bread-making traditions, resulting in several varieties of traditional bread types known for their delicious taste and texture. In this article we’ll go through the different types of Italian bread, where you’ll find their names, origins, how they’re made, why they’re famous, and everything else about them.
Related: The most popular French breads.
Ciabatta
Ciabatta originated in Italy in the 1980s, specifically in Adria. Since then, it has since become a staple in homes and restaurants around the world. Italian bakers created Ciabatta in response to the popularity of French bread with a similar texture but with native Italian ingredients. After experimenting, they came up with ciabatta, made from bread flour, yeast, salt, and water.
Light, open crumb absorbs liquids and oils, and crispy crust provides a satisfying crunch, which makes it ideal for sandwiches, Bruschetta, and as an accompaniment to soups and salads. This Italian bread also goes well with toasted and is one of the best breads for grilled cheese.
In Italy, ciabatta is commonly eaten in a variety of ways: sliced and topped with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, panini stuffed with prosciutto and Italian cheese, or as an accompaniment to pasta and salad sauces. If you’re more interested in ciabatta, you can learn more about what it is, how it’s made, and how it’s used.
Related: What is Ciabatta?
Focaccia
The world’s most famous classic Italian bread. A generous coat of olive oil, coarse salt, and rosemary is added to the focaccia, then the top of the dough is pricked with fingers to release large bubbles during the baking process. Focaccia can be thick or thin, soft or crisp. Some varieties are topped like a pizza, while others are made to be torn open and dipped in different sauces.
Focaccia col Formaggio from Liguria consists of two thin sheets of dough filled with Recco cheese, While focaccia barese is topped with tomatoes, olives, and oregano and is eaten at any time of day, as a snack or on the go, which makes it one of the most popular street foods. There are also focaccia sweet bread options like Focaccia Con Pinoli e Uvetta, which has a thin crust and soft crumb and is topped with raisins.
Whatever their different names and varieties, those Italian bread types are made to be shared and enjoyed with family and friends, especially with a glass of Italian wine.
Panettone
A sweet type of bread from Italy, synonymous with Italian Christmas traditions. Originally from Lombardy, Italy, this dome-shaped bread is enjoyed throughout the country, especially during the holidays. The panettone is made from a sweet yeast dough that typically contains candied citrus peel, raisins, and often almonds.
The most common varieties of panettone contain candied orange peel, lemon, and raisins, which give the bread a wonderfully complex fruity flavor. Some artisanal varieties include chocolate chips, dried cherries, and candied figs. Candied fruits and raisins are meant to evoke feelings of abundance and prosperity in keeping with the festive spirit of the Christmas season.
Some Italian families prefer to buy their Panettones from local bakeries that use high-quality and natural ingredients. Bell’Amore, Bauli, and Tre Marie are the most well-brands of panettone.
Grissini
The Italian breadstick comes from Piedmont, a region in northern Italy. Legend says it was created in the 17th century by a baker for the young Duke of Savoy, Vittorio Amedeo II. The Duke had digestive problems and his doctor recommended dry bread. The baker made a crunchy, dry bread that the Duke could easily digest.
Similar to French Ficelle, Grissini is easy to make. Only you need bread flour, yeast, salt, water, and olive oil. After the dough rises, it is rolled out and baked. Grissini should be crunchy. Some bakers add herbs, sesame seeds, or spices to create different flavors.
Today, Italian breadsticks are common throughout Italy and the Mediterranean. Across the sea in Tunisia, breadsticks are known as “kaki” and are usually topped with salt and are a popular snack at the stadium and in places where children are present.
Colomba Di Pasqua
Colomba Di Pasqua or Easter Dove is a traditional Italian Easter bread in the shape of a dove, a symbol of peace, hope, and new beginnings during the spring season. This sweet bread is typically made with flour, sugar, eggs, yeast, and butter and topped with candy and almonds, resulting in a spongy, buttery texture with a sweet taste.
The dove shape of Colomba Di Pasqua represents the holy spirit. Bakers meticulously shape and decorate the bread to resemble a dove in flight, with wings and head outstretched. The result is almost too pretty to eat!
If you want to try an authentic taste of this bread, you can use this recipe from King Arthur Baking. But if you already have one, serve it with a rich coffee for a delightful contrast or with herbal tea. The warmth of these ingredients complements the soft texture and flavor of Easter dove bread.
Pandoro
Another sweet Italian bread originating from the Verona region, and the top contender for Panettone during Christmas and New Year’s celebrations. Pandora is made from wheat flour, milk, butter, salt, and yeast, after kneading the dough, it is baked in a star-shaped mold and often dusted with icing sugar.
Pandoro has become a cherished part of Italian holiday traditions. Along with its light, vanilla-scented flavor, its fluffy, buttery yellow dough, dusted with powdered sugar, evokes the golden color and snowy landscape of Christmas. Families gather on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day to enjoy a piece of Pandoro with a hot drink such as mulled wine.
Many Italians have turned this Italian bread into an event, topping it with whipped cream, custard, or Nutella and fruit for a delicious dessert. Children and adults alike look forward to Pandoro all year round as a special treat that captures the warmth, joy, and sweetness of the holiday season.
Pagnotta
Traditionally made in Sicily, the rustic round Italian bread has fed families for centuries, but today it can be found in many Italian regions. Pangotta bread is made from Durum wheat flour, sourdough starter, water, and salt. Durum wheat dough keeps bread fresh for up to a week.
The dough is kneaded briefly and left to rise for several hours. This gives the bread its distinctive flavor and texture. Once the dough has risen, it is shaped into a round loaf and baked in a very hot oven. The result is a crisp-crusted bread with a chewy, porous interior.
Pagnotta is well used in Italian food culture, served alongside Lasagna, Minestrone, and Ossobuco, the structure of the bread allows it to soak up sauces and broths beautifully. Plus, it’s perfect for making Italian bruschetta and as an accompaniment to Sicilian cheeses.
Pane Carasau
Pane Caraseau originated in Sardinia, probably around 1000 BC, and was made as a durable bread for shepherds and farmers. Its fragility allowed it to last for weeks and it was easy to transport. Once baked, it was cut into a triangular shape, the shape of the sack used by shepherds to transport it.
Traditionally, Sardinian flatbread is made from semolina, water, and salt. Its unique thin and crisp texture is similar to that of matzo bread. Pane Carasau is used to make Pane Fratau, a Sardinian-style lasagna, with slices of meat and cheese, or eaten on its own.
Pane Di Altamura
Another traditional Italian sourdough bread on our list comes from the town of Altamura and was the first bread in Europe to be awarded the Protected Designation of Origin status. Altamura bread is made from protein-rich durum wheat, which gives the bread a light nutty flavor and chewy texture.
Traditionally, women would bring the bread dough to local bakers who had wood-burning ovens to bake the Italian bread. Its durability makes it hold up for a week or two. Families would gather on Sundays to eat Pani di Altamura with olive oil or tomato soup or used for making sandwiches as well as being an essential part of many traditional recipes such as Zuppa Povera
Piadina Romagnola
Piadina is an Italian bread from Emilia-Romagna, known for its simple preparation, and made with wheat flour, salt, lard or olive oil, and water. The dough is rolled out thinly and then baked on a clay tray until lightly browned.
Today’s Padina is loved all over the world for its ease of preparation and choice of fillings. Padinia is used for sandwiches, and traditional Emilia Romagna dishes and is usually stuffed with prosciutto, baby arugula, and Italian pumpkin. It can also be used in delicious desserts with rolls filled with salmon, avocado, and yogurt cream.
Pizza Di Pasqua
Pizza di Pasqua, or Easter Italian Bread, also known as Crescia di Pasqua, Torta di Pasqua in some regions, is an Italian sweet yeast bread enriched with eggs, sugar, milk, lard, and candied fruit. Traditionally eaten at Easter, and it symbolizes renewal and new life during the spring season.
Easter Bread’s dough looks like a long, domed panettone, but it’s fluffier and has a light, citrusy flavor. The richness of egg yolks, milk, and butter creates a golden crust and custardy flavor when baked.
Like other Italian Christmas breads, Pizza Di Pasqua is meant to be enjoyed and shared with loved ones and is typically served at Easter breakfast, its round shape representing unity and togetherness
Pane Siciliano
Pane Siciliano is a Sicilian regional specialty that is crusty on the outside and soft on the inside. Typically, made with semolina and sprinkled with sesame seeds and sometimes a little olive oil, and made at home with a sourdough starter, or with yeast and then baked in a wood-fired oven, but today it is readily available in bakeries all over Sicily.
Pane Siciliano complements everything from fresh seafood and pasta to grilled meats, stews, and fried foods. Sicilians use it extensively to make Cunzato bread, which is simply a sandwich of seasoned bread with different ingredients that may vary depending on the region of origin.
Pane Toscano
A rustic Tuscan bread, traditionally made without salt in the central Italian regions of Tuscany since the Middle Ages. Pane Toscano has only four basic ingredients: flour, yeast, water, and olive oil. The absence of salt provides little obstruction to the yeast, allowing it to produce the gas bubbles that give bread its distinctive texture.
It tastes natural but not bland and is usually enjoyed alongside meals especially rich sauces and stews like Zuppa Toscana. It can also be used to make the famous Tuscan bruschetta with sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil, onion, and Romano and Parmesan cheeses.
Whatever its use, Pan Toscano plays an important role in Tuscan and Italian cuisine, as this humble bread has been part of the Tuscan table for centuries.
Schiacciata
Another traditional Tuscan bread. Schiacchetta, a type of bread similar to focaccia, but usually thinner and crisper, and equally versatile in sweet and savory preparations. Made with flour, olive oil, yeast, water, and salt, and can be topped with several toppings (sun-dried tomatoes, rosemary, cheese, oregano, etc…).
Schiacciata is best enjoyed warm, but it can also be eaten cold or toasted. Its large, thin texture, crispy on the outside and soft inside, makes it ideal for making Italian sandwiches.
If you are considering making your homemade bread from scratch: First, prepare a pre-fermented dough the night before and let it rise for 12 hours. Then knead the dough with flour, salt, and water and cover it. Let it rise for 2 hours. Transfer to a pan, roll out, and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
Pane Pugliese
A rustic traditional loaf from Puglia, Italy, that has been around since the 15th century. It is said to be a legacy of the brown rustic bread brought to Apulia by the Turks, according to taste atlas.
This kind of Italian bread was traditionally made with durum flour, water, natural yeast, and salt, and has a moist, well-structured crumb and a crunchy, crispy crust, thanks to the long fermentation process and the high water content of the dough.
Pugliese bread can be used to accompany traditional dishes and soak up delicious soups, as well as to make strata and bruschetta with burrata.
Coppia Ferrarese
Coppia Ferrarese is an Italian dry bread that originated in the Ferrara region of northern Italy. Known for its unique twisted shape created by joining two pieces of dough, this crusty bread is traditionally made with sourdough, flour, lard, malt, and olive oil.
Its sweetness and mild flavor make it perfect for pairing with cheese, cheese spread, or a little olive oil, but it is traditionally served with Zia Ferrarese, a popular chunky local charcuterie made with pork, salt, pepper, fresh garlic and seasoned with white wine.
Neapolitan Casatiello
Traditional Neapolitan Easter bread made with bread dough but flavored with Neapolitan fillings such as pecorino cheese and smoked salami. However, each family has its own traditions, especially when it comes to the filling. After baking, the casatiello is brushed with olive oil to give it a shiny appearance.
The bread is formed into a round loaf with a hole in the middle representing the crown of thorns and is usually stuffed with fresh, whole eggs that children fight over at the table at Easter.
Filone
Filone is a traditional Tuscan bread that is similar to the French baguette in its elongated shape, but typically shorter, and made with the same ingredients: Flour, yeast, salt, and water.
The Italian version of the baguette features a hard, crunchy crust, making it versatile and perfect for slicing and serving with soups, cheese platters, or enjoying on its own with some butter.
Crescentina Modenese
A round, thin flatbread, originally baked in Teguilera, but now baked on a baking griddle, made from flour, water, salt, and yeast, which is traditionally stuffed with Cunza, a spread made from pork lard flavored with garlic and rosemary.
Similar to Padina, many fast food and Italian restaurants have included Crescentina Modenese on their menus, and it has quickly become one of the most popular Italian breads used in fast food.
Ciriola
Made with white flour, olive oil, yeast, salt, and sugar, Ciriola is a traditional Roman bread with a soft heart and a crispy, golden crust. Traditionally, the Ciriola is filled with Porchetta di Ariccia or Lazio salami, but its versatility makes it ideal for preparing rustic sandwiches and panino.
There are two ideas about how the name Ciriola came to be. One is that it looks like small eels, called ciriole, that used to swim in the Tiber River. The other is that it comes from the Latin word for candle, cereola.
