Città del Pane. That is literally the second name of the city of Altamura in Puglia. The deep south of Italy where my father’s family comes from. From the baroque Lecce that is to say. The tradition of Altamura bread probably originated there much more than 1000 years ago. Some of the bakeries are more than 500 years old. Like the Forno Antico Santa Chiara from 1423 and still going strong. Born of necessity, like so many products with a story. Because made for the shepherds to take with them and can therefore be kept for weeks. With soft yellow crumb and a fantastic crust due to the use of Grano Duro and also due to the long rising. The furnaces are and were often enormous, up to 25M2 and were therefore fired on average only once every three weeks. With locally long-dried wood that explains part of the taste. But most of all, time, patience and attention. Circumstances and coincidence lead to the first classified (DOP) bread that is also a Slowfood product and even part of De Ark van de Smaak. Some things are better left to someone else and that is why Casalinga makes her bruschetta with the only right option: Pane di Altamur DOP. Each then a different variant.
Buon appetito!
A presto,
Giovanni
