Panzanella, Pan Bagnato

Similar to the specially dried bread, frisella, pan bagnato is simply stale or dry bread that is soaked and eaten in soups, dipped in milk or softened with the juice of freshly cut tomatoes. In Tuscany, salted bread is used; the custom being to top the water-softened bread with chopped tomatoes, sweet onions, celery leaves, basil and a little trickle of olive oil.

My mother’s panzanella was made with leftover bread, which she broke into pieces and put into a bowl with very ripe and juicy tomatoes. This was left to soak for a while and then she would mix it with her hands until it broke into small pieces. She would then add extra-virgin olive oil, salt, finely chopped sweet onions, capers and sometimes a little finely chopped garlic, along with a little basil or oregano, like the Neapolitans and Sicilians do. It looked like chicken feed, but it tasted delicious and I still make it in the same way today.