A piece of bread, some good cheese and a few glasses of wine – it’s a simple dinner which encapsulates what a lot of us love about Italy. In Sardinia, they take this simple ritual to the next level, with hundreds of cheeses and just as many breads to pair together. As an island with a strong shepherding tradition, many Sardinian breads were created to be taken on long journeys, which is why so many of them are completely dry and crisp, very light to carry, and will remain good to eat for months after being baked. That said, there are also fresher, softer, more familiar varieties, some of which are rustic and simple in appearance; others are carved and shaped into intricate shapes for religious festivals (particularly Easter).
The reason Sardinia is home to so many different varieties of bread is thanks to the incredible durum wheat found on the island. Regarded as the best in all of Italy thanks to the quality of the water and fertile land (particularly around Trexenta), Sardinian bakers have been using the local crop for thousands of years to make bread that to this day is in high demand throughout the rest of the country (the Romans exported Sardinian wheat to the rest of the empire due to its high quality). In the home, many families use the same ‘mother’ yeast passed down through the generations, feeding it daily with flour and water, which provides plenty of flavour.
It would be impossible to list all the breads made across Sardinia in one article, but the six listed below are among some of the most celebrated. If you’re visiting the island, these are the ones to look out for.
