Description
Pane Toscano PDO is bread made with type ‘0’ soft-wheat wholegrain flour, yeast or sourdough starter and water.
Production Area
The production area of Pane Toscano PDO comprises the entire administrative territory of the Tuscany Region.
Production Method
The production method for Pane Toscano PDO starts with the preparation of the so-called “biga” or first dough, which is required to multiply the refreshed natural yeast. The biga is obtained by making a dough with 1 kg of type ‘0’ soft-wheat wholegrain flour. 500 ml of water and 200 g of yeast starter. It is then left to rest for at least 8 hours, after which the final dough is made by adding 550 ml of water and 200 g of the biga to 1 kg of type ‘0’ soft-wheat wholegrain flour. The dough for Pane Toscano PDO can be prepared by hand or machine. The final dough is then left to rest for at least 20 minutes. This is followed by the dough being divided into portions of various sizes (the so-called “pezzatura”), depending on the weight and shape of the finished product. The portions are then left to rest for at least 15 minutes. The previously prepared dough portions are then formed-shaped. The loaves are left to rest for at least 2 hours and 30 minutes before being put in the oven to bake.
Appearance and Flavour
Pane Toscano PDO is sold in two different sizes: small loaf (rhomboid shape, weighing 0.45-0.55 kg); large loaf (rectangular, weighing between 0.90-1.10 kg or between 1.80 kg and 2.20 kg). The crust is crunchy with a dark, opaque nut-brown colour; the inside of the bread is white or ivory-white, with characteristic irregular air bubbles. It smells of roasted hazelnuts, while on tasting it is unsalted and slightly acidic.
History
The first written testimony of bread without salt was written by Pierandrea Mattioli in the Sixteenth century. While in 1765, Saverio Manetti wrote of the Tuscan custom of not using salt when preparing this particular type of bread. The same Manetti also refers to the use of natural yeast, known in Tuscany as formento, consisting of sourdough that was kept in the madia (a cupboard used to preserve flour). There are numerous texts describing the importance of this unsalted bread in the diet of Tuscan sharecroppers in the Nineteenth century; this was because the high price of salt meant that it was mainly used to preserve pork.
Gastronomy
Pane Toscano PDO is perfect to serve with traditional Tuscan cold cuts, which are generally very salty, and sheep’s cheese. Due to the abundance of crumb it is perfect for soaking up the sauces of meat stews. Pane Toscano PDO is used in a few typical Tuscan dishes that are made with stale bread, as the leavened sourdough stops mould from forming for as long as 6/7 days. The most well-known of these dishes are pappa col pomodoro, ribollita, zuppa toscana and panzanella.
Marketing
The product is marketed as Pane Toscano PDO. It is sold whole or pre-sliced, in multi-layer packets and/or modified atmosphere packaging. Pane Toscano PDO may also be sold. In this case, the product must be identified by a label that is applied directly to the loaf before baking, bearing the PDO logo.
Distinctive Features
The distinctive organoleptic qualities of Pane Toscano PDO, its long shelf life and the characteristics of the crust and crumb, derive from an ancient salt-free bread-making method and the use of sourdough natural yeast and type ‘0’ soft-wheat wholegrain flour, obtained from wheat varieties selected and grown in Tuscany for almost a hundred years.
