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The Most Popular Types of Italian Bread: A Guide from Italy

Updated: October 10, 2024

Italy boasts a vast array of delicious regional breads. Each with its own unique flavor and texture, Italian bread is the perfect accompaniment to a pasta dish, a hearty base for a sandwich, or a delicious appetizer.

This is a guide to the most popular types of Italian bread and what we have to offer at Partenope Ristorante.

Ciabatta

Ciabatta is a rustic Italian loaf first baked in Veneto that is filled with irregular-shaped air pockets. Crusty on the outside and chewy on the inside, it is an ideal choice for sandwiches. Ciabatta is one of the most recognizable Italian breads in America. View all of our Breads on the Menu!

Pane Toscano

The most common type of bread in Italy, pane toscana, comes in a loaf. This Tuscan bread may be salted or unsalted and is perfect for bruschetta. The bruschetta served at Partenope Ristorante is topped with garlic, cherry tomato, olive oil, basil, balsamic reduction, and parmesan.

Focaccia

Focaccia is a flatbread that is one of the most iconic Italian breads. Baked flat on a sheet pan, it gets its rich flavor from the addition of olive oil. Focaccia is perfect alone for a snack, and it makes an excellent bread for serving with soup. It would be a nice accompaniment to the radicchio e farro salad a Partenope, a mix of radicchio, mixed greens, crispy farro, cannellini beans, roasted red pepper, goat cheese, and champagne vinaigrette.

Panino all’olio

Originating in northern Italy, panino all’olio is an “oil bread” that is extremely soft and delicious, with a very thin crust. It came to be because the harsh weather in this region of the country has always compromised the leavening of bread. The invention of panino all’olio defies this setback. The bread may be rounded or elongated and is generally less than 20 cm long. It is so soft you can easily break it with your hands and so delicious that it is hard to resist.

Piadina

The king of Italian flatbreads, piadina, comes from the Emilia Romagna region but is consumed all over the country. The symbol of an easy but healthy, home-cooked meal, it is also a delicious street food. Piadina is very much like a Mexican tortilla made with wheat flour.

Fresella

Fresella, also known as frisa pugliese, is an original bread from the Puglia region of southern Italy. It is crunchy and hard but not a stale type of bread. Fresella is baked twice and can be kept for a long period of time. It is shaped like a donut because it was traditionally hung on a cable in Italian homes.

Coppia Ferrarese

Coming from the province of Ferrara, coppia ferrarese is a unique-shaped bread made by intertwining two pieces of dough to create and x or star shape. Made with lard and rolled before it’s baked, the bread contains several crispy layers. It is the perfect bread to serve with a salumi board from Partenope Ristorante; prosciutto di parma, salame toscano, n’duja, hot coppa, ricotta, calabrian chili honey, and parmesan.

Pane Cafone

“Pane Cafone” bread, also known as “Cafone bread,” originates from the Campania region, primarily Naples and surrounding areas. This bread is traditionally baked in wood-fired ovens, which contributes to its unique taste and texture. It’s commonly enjoyed alongside meals, used for sandwiches, or simply eaten with olive oil, tomatoes, or cheese.

Have a Taste of Artisan Italian Bread!

To explore the taste of artisan Italian bread, visit Partenope Ristorante. Our wide variety of delicious options pair well with our authentic Italian dishes for an unmatched culinary experience.

In addition to our old-world pasta, appetizers, sandwiches, and salads, we serve Verace Pizza Napoletana, true Neapolitan pizza, and can even teach you how to make it! Our pizza-making class is a fun, hands-on experience held on Saturdays at 2:00 pm. During the 60-minute lesson with a Partenope pizzaiolo, participants make and eat a fantastic pizza, plus take home the recipe and enough dough for another pizza.

Contact us today to make a reservation or to learn more about our delicious cuisine.

 

Image Source: Scorpp // Shutterstock