Breads & Rolls

Though we never were so effete as to match breads to foods, there were occasions that demanded a particular bread. On holidays we always had Sicilian bread—fine-textured part-semolina bread, either braided or constructed from a series of thin ovals pressed together into a long loaf, then covered with sesame seeds—its very appearance was festive. In our home, we usually had a long, thick, baguette-type bread with seeds. My grandparents, next door, usually had a panella, a round loaf my grandfather ceremoniously sliced by holding the loaf against his chest, while he sliced horizontally toward himself—with a very thin, very dull knife!